The whole scene of setting the dance floor in your living room has been quite familiar now in Kathmandu. Everybody knows what a “house party” is as the term itself makes it clear that it´s a party thrown at someone´s house. Well, we can just define it as a gathering organized by a host at his/her house or apartment. Teenagers seem to love to turn your house into a disco. [break]
Though partying has always been there, it has now become more of a fad from English movies, where teenagers have a social gathering at their place when their parents are out. This craze has been quite a hit among the people of Kathmandu and the number of people adopting this hip trend is on the rise.
Suraj Raj Karki, 21, says, “Our grandfathers, too, used to socialize by throwing house parties. The only difference now is that house parties are a bit improvised and the whole idea is not just to sit down and have dinner but also to have some fun and playful moments. Our grandfathers had their parties in a very formal way.”
House parties do not necessarily have to be extravagant where you hire a DJ and bartenders. It may be a small get-together with stereo music and dinner with family members and friends.
“There are few aspects that people look for while partying and I think house parties provide them to some extent. I have been to a few house parties in Nepal and given some myself because parties are the best way to catch up with your friends and relatives. I think the whole idea behind having parties is to socialize with the people you know,” says Karki.
Although house parties take place when the parents are out for business in the movies and TV shows, it doesn´t necessarily have to be that way.
The parents are usually present or informed of the bash. Also they don´t seem to have any problems and appear happier. Kanchan Shrestha, a parent, says, “For teenagers throwing house parties have become a prominent feature in popular movies which, of course, is not feasible and is not appreciated. For me house parties are something you host, everyone enjoys and you share something good with the right people in a fun way.”
But still we can predict that they might be little irritated when messing up the TV den or if Coke is spilled all over the carpet. Oops!
A bash at your home may be safe. However, being in a country with so many social and cultural inhibitions, it still is not very common. It may be an anathema to your neighbors. “Sometimes when you´re hosting a house party, you may face problems with neighbors complaining of loud music. I recently faced such a complaint while celebrating my son´s 17th birthday party,” says Shrestha.
If you are hosting a party many things need to be considered. “Though the trend of having house parties is on the rise, I think there should be some boundary drawn. Nepal is not used to such western culture,” says Rehan.
A lot of dos and don´ts are to be looked at before hosting a party which includes the food, bill, music and, most importantly, the house. It can be simple or have a theme like fancy dress and the occasion may vary like birthday, graduation and World Cup!
Related story
‘Dune’ to get sequel, with theater-only release set for 2023
