Internet Conflicted Over Rise in Popularity of Divorce Parties and Registries
knife cutting between bride and groom figurines, relationship breakup
A celebratory way of showing support for a couple going through a divorce is rising in popularity, but some critics are finding it tough to get behind.
For those experiencing the dissolution of their marriage, holding a divorce party or setting up a gift registry can be a way to mark an unplanned life transition. While different from a wedding or baby shower, this kind of gathering can help those confronting the realities of life away from their ex-partner to gather support from friends and family. Divorce gift registries can also help them rebuild when a household separates.
A 2023 Reddit thread showed thousands of users weighing in on the merits of divorce parties and registries. Many cast doubt on the idea.
“Instead of buying the divorced couple gifts, at a divorce party they should return the wedding gifts you bought them,” one person wrote. “I’d definitely go, in that case!”
Another Reddit user wrote, “as weird as the world has gotten, I can’t imagine this becoming a thing with any regularity.”
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Still, others applauded the thought behind these kinds of celebrations, with one writing that it seems like “a decent idea” for couples going through an amicable separation. “Divorce can be tough on extended family, this type of celebration could ease some of that tension,” they wrote.
A comment in response agreed: “Let friends and family know that it is amicable, there are no sides to choose, and no one needs to be worried about being caught in the middle.”
Another Reddit user reflected on their personal experience with a divorce party their parents held during the 1990s. “It was a great way to end an era and begin a new one where they were friends,” they wrote.
Despite those who doubted that divorce parties would become common, one person said they have already attended two. “They are already a thing,” the Reddit user wrote.
Divorce parties have been popular topics of discussion for several years, with one Glamour writer arguing in favor of the events in 2018 and an InStyle article explaining the difficulties with initiating divorce registries in 2021.
What do you think of divorce parties?
Next: 12 Phrases to Never Use in Your Texts if You’re Divorcing
