Charivari

Charivari or shivaree or chivaree was originally a French folk custom, a noisy mock serenade for newlyweds. It was also sometimes used as a form of social coercion, to force an as-yet-unmarried couple to wed. "Charivari" is the original French word, and is used in both English and French in Canada. Similar customs arose in England and were carried to the colonies. They also existed in Italy. The term "shivaree" is used in the United States and "chivaree" is used in Ontario Canada. The custom was often used to demonstrate community disproval of adulterous relationships, wife beaters, unwed mothers and most commonly unnatural marriages and remarriages.