charivari

American  

[shiv-uh-ree, shiv-uh-ree, shuh-riv-uh-ree, shahr-uh-vahr-ee] / ˌʃɪv əˈri, ˈʃɪv əˌri, ʃəˌrɪv əˈri, ˌʃɑr əˈvɑr i /

Also chivaree,

noun

plural

charivaris, charivaried, charivariing

1. a variant of shivaree.

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charivari British  

/ ˌʃɑːrɪˈvɑːrɪ /

noun

1. a discordant mock serenade to newlyweds, made with pans, kettles, etc

2. a confused noise; din

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Etymology

Origin of charivari

< French, Middle French, of obscure origin; said to be < Late Latin carībaria headache < Greek karēbaría, equivalent to karē-, combining form of kárā, kárē head + -baria ( bar ( ys ) heavy + -ia -ia ), on the hypothesis that such a noisy procession would cause a headache

Example Sentences

I learned about charivari, a folk custom in France in which people mock-serenaded weddings they disapproved of, adding to the proceedings “the stench of a donkey carcass being burned.”

From Slate • Jul. 13, 2020

Young people also expressed their opinion of the moral conduct of elders, in traditions known as charivari or "rough music".

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2014

It is what the  charivari of outraged Usenet  denizens  did  to  Portal and Internet Direct as vengeance, swamping the servers with furious mail and big, capacity-consuming image files.

From Scientific American • Jun. 20, 2013

Twelve nights the charivari continued while Father Peterson grew grimmer and grimmer, Juoni & bride grew paler and weaker.

From Time Magazine Archive

Conversation at the supper table was out of the question, and as soon as it was over we went out among the boys who had come to charivari us.

From Country Life in Canada Fifty Years Ago Personal recollections and reminiscences of a sexagenarian by Haight, Canniff