Party horn
A party horn (also known as a party blower) is a paper noisemaker which unfurls and produces a horn-like noise when a person blows into it. Party horns may be distributed at birthday parties, New Year's Eve, and other celebrations to create festive noise.
English does not have a single, consistent term for this but different places employ neologisms and variants with synonyms of blowing (puffing, blowout etc.) and onomatopoeic names (whistle, squeak etc.).[citation needed] The term for party horn in several other languages translates to "a mother in law's tongue" (e.g. Portuguese língua de sogra).
The party horn became a popular party favor in the early 1900s.[1] Modern variations have a plastic mouthpiece to prevent damage to the paper from moisture of the mouth. The paper tube often contains a coiled metal or plastic strip that rapidly retracts the horn after it is blown. Others have a brightly coloured feather attached to the end which vibrates in the outgoing airflow.[2] Party horns are often sold in multi-packs for parties and other celebratory events.
Blooper and the Phillie Phanatic, each a mascot of a Major League Baseball team, have party horns in their ears and as a tongue, respectively.
The world record for the most people blowing party horns at one time was set on November 21, 2009 with 6091 people in Tokyo, Japan.[3] In September 2020, David Rush and Eirinn Hannon, both from Idaho, made 108 toots from party blowers in one minute, breaking a previous Guinness World Record of 78.[4][5] They were required to alternate each toot.
Medicine
[edit]Medical researchers have studied using party horns as a simple way to test respiratory function in patients with dementia.[6][7] This was of interest because standard methods of pulmonary function testing can be difficult to understand for some patients.[7] Researchers have also tested party horns as an at-home breathing exercise for elderly people to help maintain healthy respiration and swallowing.[8]
Asking a child to blow a party horn can be a non-pharmacological intervention to minimize perception of pain during routine procedures such as vaccinations and blood draws for lab tests.[9][10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Homemade Noisemaker Activity". Iowa.gov. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
- ↑ Kilgour, Owen Frederick George (1969). An Introduction to the Physical Aspects of Nursing Science. Heinemann Medical. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-433-18470-6.
- ↑ "Most people blowing party blowers simultaneously". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ↑ "Watch: Idaho duo break their own record for party blower toots - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
- ↑ "Watch: Idaho men take on Guinness record for party blower toots - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
- ↑ Higashijima, Misako; Shiozu, Hiroyasu (May 2015). "Using Party Horns to Test Respiratory Function in Patients With Dementia". American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias. 30 (3): 326–329. doi:10.1177/1533317514545982. ISSN 1533-3175. PMC 10852856. PMID 25136057.
- 1 2 Higashijima, Misako (August 2013). "Relationship between Swallowing Dysfunction and Decreased Respiratory Function in Dementia Patients". Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 25 (8): 941–942. doi:10.1589/jpts.25.941. ISSN 0915-5287. PMC 3820222. PMID 24259889.
- ↑ Takahata, Hideaki (October 2020). "At-Home Breathing Exercise for the Elderly Using a Party Horn: An Exploratory Study". Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation. 36 (4): 266–269. doi:10.1097/TGR.0000000000000292. ISSN 0882-7524.
- ↑ Gorrotxategi Gorrotxategi, Pedro; Zabaleta Rueda, Ainhoa; Urberuaga Pascual, Alejandro; Aizpurua Galdeano, Pilar; Juaristi Irureta, Saioa; Larrea Tamayo, Elene (September 2022). "Nonpharmacological pain management in vaccination. Perception of paediatricians, patients and guardians". Anales de Pediatría (English Edition). 97 (3): 199–205. doi:10.1016/j.anpede.2022.07.002.
- ↑ Waldman, Hilary (1997-03-19). "Pediatrician's advice to colleagues: treat the pain as well as the illness". Hartford Courant. p. 33. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
