In our culture divorce has become less of a stigma and more of a right of passage. Per a 2022 Gallup poll, 81% of those polled stated that divorce was morally acceptable. A portion of the recently divorced are choosing to celebrate this coming-of-age time with a party focused on celebrating their newfound freedom and letting go of their past relationship.
This phenomenon of mainstreaming the termination of marriage has even been commercialized with companies like Evites and Paperless Post, even featuring divorce party invites and company platforms supporting divorce registries. The marketing of these products and services seems to overwhelmingly be tailored toward women.
The people who choose to throw divorce parties may use them as a time to rally their support networks and focus on the future rather than the breakdown of the relationship. The goal of their party may be to empower the divorcee to start their new chapter with new goals and boosted morale.
However, some believe that even while divorce may be less stigmatized, the divorce parties themselves are in poor taste. For those marriages with children, it could be said that the party could lead to the children feeling like mistakes or as if the party host is vilifying their other parent.
What are your thoughts on the divorce parties? Are they allowing divorcing couples to channel positivity or are they a crass culture trend?