Polterabend

What it is

A Polterabend is an evening party held shortly before a wedding. Guests smash porcelain, and sometimes ceramic tiles, sinks or flowerpots, on the ground outside the bride's home or her parents' home. The German word joins poltern, to make a racket, with Abend, evening. The custom is not a bachelor or bachelorette night. At a Polterabend the couple celebrates side by side with their friends, while at a Junggesellenabschied the bride and groom go out separately with their own friends. The name has also been borrowed into Danish, where it now means that separate party.

Origins and history

Nobody knows exactly where the Polterabend began. One account traces it to Germanic tribes who threw shards to scare off evil spirits. Another points to an old heathen rite in which clay altars used for sacrifice were smashed once the offering had been made. A further suggestion is psychological: men who had hoped to marry the bride themselves get a socially acceptable chance to let off steam. The saying Scherben bringen Glück, shards bring luck, comes from a time when a shard could mean an intact clay pot rather than a broken piece, and a full jar was thought a lucky thing to own.

How it is kept

This is not a formal occasion with printed invitations. The couple spread the word and anyone who wants to come turns up; many use it to include people they cannot fit into the wedding itself. Guests bring porcelain to smash, along with metal things such as tin cans and bottle tops. Glass stays whole, because glass stands for happiness, and mirrors are spared too, since breaking one is said to bring seven years of bad luck. Food and drink are provided or asked of the guests. Afterwards the couple clears the pile of shards themselves.

Where it is kept

The custom is strongest in Germany, and above all in some of its regions. In the western parts of Poland, in Wielkopolska, Silesia, Kashubia, Kujawy and Kociewie, it is common as well, in areas long shaped by German cultural influence. Sweden and Finland have included it in wedding preparations for centuries, and descendants of immigrants keep it in some rural parts of Brazil. Austria and Switzerland go another way: there the bride and groom each have a separate party. Some regions also hold a calmer Paube, which can serve as an engagement party or a housewarming.

Today and change

A newer version folds two events into one. Called a Polter-wedding, it puts the smashing together with the wedding reception. In most places the Polterabend still happens on the Friday evening before the church ceremony, though some regions choose the Thursday or the Saturday. When it falls the night before the wedding, the couple may slip away around midnight so they are fresh the next morning, and the party itself is usually louder and more playful than the wedding. A German short film, Porcelain, directed by Annika Birgel, shows the custom.

How Polterabend is kept

Word of the evening passes by mouth rather than by invitation, so anyone who wishes may come. Guests arrive with porcelain, and often with metal odds and ends, and at the high point of the night they throw it down on the ground in front of the bride's home. Glass and mirrors are left intact. Food and drink are laid on, or guests are asked to bring some, and presents are often handed over at this point. The couple then clears the shards away themselves.

When and where

It usually falls a day or two before the wedding, most often on the Friday evening ahead of the church ceremony. In some regions people choose the Thursday or the Saturday instead. When the Polterabend is held the night before, the couple is allowed to leave around midnight.

Germany is its main home, above all in some of its regions. It is also kept in western Poland, in Wielkopolska, Silesia, Kashubia, Kujawy and Kociewie. Sweden and Finland have long included it in wedding preparations, and some rural communities in Brazil, founded by immigrants, keep it too. Austria and Switzerland prefer separate parties for bride and groom.

What Polterabend means

The noise and the broken pieces carry the hope of good luck for the marriage. Sweeping up is part of it: the couple has to deal with the heap of shards side by side, and this is meant to remind them that difficult times will have to be faced together. The custom also widens the wedding, since people who cannot be invited to the ceremony can still come and wish the couple well.

Questions people ask about Polterabend

See also

Bachelor partyA send-off for a groom-to-be, kept in the days and weeks before a weddingChristmas treeA decorated evergreen or artificial tree placed indoors to mark the Christmas season.CandlemasA Christian feast of candle blessings marking the end of the Christmas seasonFriday the 13thA Western folk superstition regarding the unluckiness of a Friday falling on the 13th.

Good reading and sources

• Polterabend on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.