Yes, you flew to Las Vegas for your best friend’s bachelorette party just five years ago. And now you’ve received a new invitation from her for a party themed “Single and Ready” because, well… she’s getting divorced.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, divorce parties are in vogue now. More than ever, Americans consider divorce morally acceptable and are ready to pop champagne bottles to celebrate it.
The evidence showing this trend includes:
- Etsy, Walmart, and Amazon are launching divorce-themed decorations and souvenirs;
- Searches on Pinterest for “divorce party games” increased by 80% in June 2022 compared to the previous year, and searches for “divorce cakes” increased by 50%;
- The hashtag #divorceparty currently has 93.6 million views on TikTok
New Businesses
As more people are saying “I don’t” in style, new companies are emerging to offer services that go far beyond parties.
In the tourism industry, there are several companies offering packages for hosts to gather their friends for complete trips with hotel stays, dinners, dance floors, and themed outfits.
Stripe Street Studio is a company specializing in interior design for divorced men. Fresh Starts offers gift registries to help divorcees stock their new homes. Onward is an app for managing money jointly with an ex-partner when children or businesses are involved.
Divorce Can Be Contagious
But be careful with the guest list. A study showed that divorce can be contagious.
A research team from Brown University analyzed three decades of marriage and divorce data collected from thousands of residents of Framingham, Massachusetts. The researchers found that study participants were 75% more likely to get divorced if a friend got divorced and 33% more likely to end their marriage if a friend of a friend separated.
Sociologists call the phenomenon “social contagion” – the spread of information, attitudes, and behaviors through friends, family, and other social networks.
So, think twice before RSVPing to a divorce party.
Source: The Wall Street Journal and The Pew Research Center