Divorce parties: once you’ve finalized your divorce papers, this may be the last thing that you’re thinking about, but that trend is changing. In Las Vegas, for instance, Glynda Rhodes, founder of The Divorce Party Planner, has seen a robust market.
“It’s about creating a new chapter in your life,” Rhodes told USA Today in a recent article. “There are so many days you want to stay home and be dark. Now it’s about: What do you want to do with your life?”
According to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 2.1 million marriages and almost half as many divorces. That’s a pretty huge market.
“Divorce parties are gaining in popularity because, unfortunately, there are a lot more divorces these days,” said Warren Berkowitz, product development manager for the New York-based Forum Novelties, which has seen an increase in demand for divorce-related party favors, the news site reports.
USA Today also points out that Forum Novelties created a “Divorced Diva” line for women celebrating the finalization of their divorce forms. The most popular items? Tiaras and boas to wear while bar-hopping as well as piñatas, doormats, and dartboards featuring pictures of exes.
“Anything that is frivolous and not overly offensive is popular,” Berkowitz said.
The Argument Against
Opponents of these so-called divorce parties feel that the festive atmosphere has a tendency to trivialize the heartache, pain, and frustration associated with divorce. They believe that by desensitizing the blow of divorce, these parties run a greater risk of increasing the overall rate and leading to more serious societal issues, such as strain on children and greater instances of divorce-induced depression.
However, these arguments may be near-sighted.
Divorce is and always will be a sensitive issue. It’s not something that participants easily recover from, and the growth of this industry is a testament to that fact.
More people who experience the pain of deciding to file for divorce — or having it filed on them — are turning to this type of “event therapy” to find closure.
But Do These Parties Provide Closure?
In a way, yes.
For one, their job is not to purge the pain but to provide the divorcee with a glimpse into the future with the hope that it’s a future filled with hope and resurgence. No one is saying that the party will mean instant recovery, but it does make the afflicted parties realize that they have permission to move on with their lives.
So whether you plan something elaborate or just decide to road trip with a dear friend, this is a type of therapy that can be greatly beneficial to your recovery.