Updated September 23, 2021 1.4K votes 362 voters 26.3K views
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Vote up the historical ragers that are better than any modern party you've been to.
Most history classes leave out one of the best parts of the past: all the crazy parties. The biggest bashes in history included a punch bowl so huge that a boy rowed a boat in it and an ancient Egyptian tradition where everyone got black-out drunk on beer – and that's just the beginning when it comes to the best parties ever.
Some wild celebrations took a dark turn, like the French Bal des Ardents, during which the king narrowly avoided burning to death in the middle of a wedding. Others are just strange, like when Andrew Jackson invited 10,000 people to the White House to devour 1,400 pounds of cheese, which left behind an "evil-smelling horror." And then there was the banger at the Vatican with prizes for whoever got intimate with the most sex workers.
The biggest ragers of history boast more booze, debauchery, and in some cases, destruction, than even some of the wildest modern parties.
The Ancient Egyptians Held A Festival Of Drunkenness
Ancient Egyptians knew how to make beer – and they celebrated it annually in the Festival of Drunkenness. The event commemorated a moment in Egyptian mythology where mankind was saved from destruction because a murderous goddess, Hathor, got drunk and passed out. To celebrate, Egyptians lit torches, danced, and "traveled through the marshes," which historians speculate may refer to sex.
And, of course, it wouldn't be the Festival of Drunkenness without alcohol. Every year, the ancient Egyptians drank a ton of alcohol and passed out. Everyone – whether they were a peasant or part of the elite – participated in this ritual together.
President Andrew Jackson Invited Thousands Of People To The White House For An Inauguration Rager
When Old Hickory stormed into the presidency in 1829, he reportedly invited a drunken gang of supporters to the wildest party in White House history. Andrew Jackson supposedly declared his inauguration would be an open house, and an enormous crowd descended on the executive mansion. As many as 20,000 people showed up to drink, destroy furniture, and nearly tear apart the building.
According to reports, Jackson himself had to jump out the window to escape the rowdy crowd. The White House was saved by the promise of free liquor if the partiers left the house. Afterwards, Jackson asked Congress for $50,000 to redecorate.
King Louis XIV Threw A Week-Long Celebration For His Mistress
The very first party at Versailles was known as the Pleasures of the Enchanted Isle, and it was a wild one, lasting an entire week. King Louis XIV hosted the party from May 7-13, 1664, claiming it was in honor of his mother – but the real guest of honor was the king's mistress, Louise de la Vallière. The party included elaborate costumes, a recreation of Apollo's chariot, and an enormous fake palace.
There was a massive float designed to look like a whale. Horses raced on the grounds of Versailles. The revelers watched ballet performances after dark, lit only with lanterns. The king even jumped in and performed ballet himself. During the middle of the swinging shindig, they lit the fake palace on fire using fireworks. Luckily, the real Versailles wasn't harmed during the week-long party.
Pope Alexander VI's Soirée Had A Contest For Who Could Bed The Most Sex Workers
Alexander VI, the Borgia pope, held the craziest shindig in Vatican history back in 1501. It became known as the "Banquet of Chestnuts" for a particularly scandalous trick performed by the sex workers hired for the party. The pope's banquet featured a who's who of Roman nobility and Catholic Church officials, as well as Roman sex workers.
After an elaborate feast of meat and wine, 50 sex workers jumped on the table and performed a striptease. The pope then announced a new competition: the man who slept with the most of them during the party would win a prize, granted by the pope himself. There are no records of who won.
King Henry VIII and King Francis I Had Two-And-A-Half Week "Meeting" With Wine And Beer Fountains
In 1520, England's Henry VIII and Francis I of France held a meeting that became known as the Field of the Cloth of Gold. The event's rich name came from the costly canopies and furnishings. Both sides showed up ready to impress the other, and no expense was spared. The meeting lasted two-and-a-half weeks.
The event included the construction of an enormous temporary palace, which 6,000 workers built just before the kings arrived. The monarchs definitely wanted their meeting to be an extravagant gathering, as they included two fountains in front of the palace with wine and beer for guests. After the party, the valley where the kings met was renamed the Valley of Gold.
When Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945, ending World War II, Times Square in New York City instantly became a crazy party. V-J Day brought thousands out to celebrate the end of years of war. The crowd was both exhilarated and relieved that the deadliest war in human history was finally over. According to a Time article published at the time, "Booze flowed; inhibitions were cast off; there were probably as many fists thrown as kisses planted."
The most famous image from the party, taken by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt, shows a sailor kissing a nurse. Years later, the man in the photo confirmed that the nurse was a stranger, and he simply grabbed her and kissed her in celebration; the photo later spurred a controversy, as some viewed it as a form of sexual assault.
