Mainly in the United Kingdom,South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United States and Canada the term house party refers, typically, to a type of party where large groups of people, often high school or college students, but occasionally adults too, gather at a the house or apartment of the party's host. House Parties usually feature popular music, a food buffet, dancing, social interaction, and the consumption of alcohol. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, a house party can be referred to as a "free gaff".

Such parties are classified as house parties in order to distinguish them from parties that take place in the college halls of residence and other places on campus. A house party might be organised several months, down to just a few days, in advance. News of a party is often spread by word of mouth, the sending of formal invitations, or on social networking websites like Facebook.

In the case of the latter, the host must be particularly careful of how public the information regarding the party is made. There have been cases where hundreds of people have turned up to a party they found out about on the internet without knowing the host personally, causing massive damage the house or the items within in. In the UK, such an occurrence may be referred to as a 'Skins' party, named after a TV show focusing on the lives of teenagers who often cause such parties.

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