Much has been written about parties. I've written a few articles on the subject myself, articles about being a good host, a good guest and planning. In the course of researching some of those previous articles, a few questions came to mind, so I thought I'd ask and answer a few of them here, for me and for you, the reader.

1. Are there a specific number of people who must attend for the event to qualify for the appellation of party?

The short answer is two. By definition, one critical element of a party is social interaction. This infers a minimum of two persons. Less than two will result in no social interaction. There appears to be no upper limit to the number of people attending a party.

2. Where did the party hat come from?

In medieval times, the court jester provided entertainment for the reigning monarch and his royal court. These "fools" as they were sometimes called, wore comical hats to enhance their role. Later, in the 1800's, these comical hats re-surfaced as the so-called "dunce cap" (dunce/fool-get it?) worn by the errant schoolchildren of the day as punishment for their misbehavior. Some believe the party hat was derived from one or both. Another school of thought suggests that in ancient times, only the nobility celebrated their birthdays, as the peasants could not afford such a luxury. As time passed and commoners began celebrating their birthday, the party hat was a symbol of the crown worn by the nobles. Both seem probable as forerunners of the custom, but you decide!

3. What's the difference between a party and a celebration?

A celebration typically honors or acknowledges the occurrence of a past event, such as Independence Day, D-Day, Pearl Harbor Day and so forth. A party, on the other hand, is a means available to acknowledge the event. The best example of this would be the Birthday Party, honoring or acknowledging the birth of an individual. You can have a party for no reason in particular, but a celebration is for a specific reason. We might choose to celebrate a wedding anniversary by throwing a party. Clear as mud, right?

4. Are there alternatives to the tired and annoying Happy Birthday to You?

I don't know about you, but hearing that tired and infantile Happy Birthday to You song makes me throw up in my mouth! Moreover, I can't carry a tune in a bucket, even one as mundane and banal as Happy Birthday to You! If you can't sing or you are just a macho kind of guy, consider the following:

I don't know but I've been told,Someone here is getting old.Happy (repeat happy)Birthday (repeat birthday)Happy birthday----to you!

Chant this tune using the army call-and-response cadence.

This is a welcome alternative to Happy Birthday to You because you don't have to be able to sing. I think it's the best alternative I've seen. If you don't like this one, you can fall back to another, but less irritating, standby known as For He's a Jolly Good Fellow.