A shivaree is a wedding tradition that was common in the 19th-century Midwest and rural America. It involves a noisy mock serenade performed outside the home of a newly married couple by their friends and neighbours.
In the eastern U.S. this custom, imported from rural England, was simply called a "serenade" or known under various local names. In much of the central U.S. and Canada, however, it was called a "shivaree," a loan from French charivari, which denotes the same folk custom in France.
Historians trace the roots of shivaree in America to similar practices in Canada and England. Indeed, many communities throughout history have practiced traditions similar to shivaree, but the American version is uniquely lighthearted.
Shivaree, or chivaree, was a traditional Mountain folk custom staged during the first night that a bride and groom, following the honeymoon, moved into their new residence (even if it happened to be with relatives in their old residence).
Shivaree officially disbanded in 2007, after a very brief promotional tour of their fourth album, Tainted Love: Mating Calls and Fight Songs, a cover album. The band was formed in 1997 and took its name from the Cajun term "shivaree", which means, roughly, a noisy mock serenade for newlyweds.
A shivaree was a raucous and fun-loving way to celebrate a newly married couple’s nuptials. It took place days, weeks, even months following the actual wedding. The element of surprise was key. Though more prevalent in the 1800’s, my parents have told stories of shivarees that took place in their growing up years (mid-1900s).
Shivaree was a nineteenth and early twentieth century Appalachian custom (originally dating back to sixteenth-century France) of teasing a married couple on their wedding night or shortly thereafter. The bride was carried around in a tub at times, and the groom was ridden on a rail.