5 Common Ways To Celebrate Divorce

People love to celebrate. We’ll take any excuse to throw a party, whether it’s a holiday, a promotion at work, or the Trailblazers making a playoff run. While we usually think of ending a marriage as a serious, somber affair, that’s not always the case. Increasingly, many people take the occasion as an excuse to celebrate divorce.

It’s difficult to end a marriage and it alters your life in almost every way. Even when it’s the right decision, the absolute best choice, that doesn’t make it any easier. There’s so much stress and emotion involved that when it’s finally over, it’s normal to feel an intense sense of relief and even freedom.

It’s easy to wallow, but more and more, people choose to celebrate divorce instead. And what better time to party than when you close the door on a painful chapter of your life and start off in a new direction?

Commemorating the dissolution of marriage takes many forms. One company sells tiny coffins to bury your wedding ring, and people often burn mementos from their relationship in a cathartic act. But let’s take a look at some of the more festive, life-affirming, and downright fun ways people celebrate divorce.

Ways to Celebrate Divorce:

Divorce Parties

What better way to celebrate divorce than by throwing a party? This is also probably the most obvious, high-profile ritual for moving forward. Who doesn’t want to be surrounded by loved ones and have a good time after a trying experience?

Divorce parties take many forms and cut across the whole spectrum. Maybe your ideal way to celebrate divorce is to share a quiet meal, a few drinks, and some laughs with close friends. Then again, after ending your marriage, maybe you’re in the mood for an all-out rager the cops have to bust up.

How you celebrate divorce boils down to personal preference. But this type of revelry has become so commonplace that party planners and event specialists regularly field such requests. From subdued to outrageous, no matter your tastes, there’s someone out there to help you plan the perfect divorce party.

Related Reading: Surviving Thanksgiving For Divorced Dads

Divorce Cakes

What’s a party without a cake? And what’s a divorce party without a divorce cake? A wedding cake is an integral, symbolic part of most marriage ceremonies, so it adds a bit of poetic justice to have one at the other end.

A veritable cottage industry has sprung up around divorce cakes. Just do a quick Google image search to see the incredible variety that exists in the world.

These divorce desserts run the gamut from simple sheet cakes with words like “Freedom” written in frosting to elaborate, multi-tiered confectionary wizardry.

Think broken hearts, a chocolate ball and chain, and effigies of exes being devoured by monsters. Astonishing inventiveness abounds, and there’s a certain catharsis to literally biting off your ex’s head, even if it’s only in tasty dessert form.

Related Reading: How Oregon Divides Property in Divorce

Divorce Selfies

Selfies are a ubiquitous presence these days, so the rise of divorce selfies probably shouldn’t surprise anyone. Couples amicably ending a marriage have started taking to social media to joyously celebrate divorce and share their enthusiasm with the world.

Often these photos take the form of a smiling, otherwise happy-looking couple. They brandish divorce certificates or show off a newly ring-free finger on their left hand. Some are simple, straightforward, and spur-of-the-moment, while others are more elaborate and planned out in advance.

Ending a marriage doesn’t always have to be dour and rife with conflict, and divorce selfies illustrate this. Not every split turns into a contentious, knock-down-drag-out fight between spouses. And marriages don’t always end on bad terms. Maybe your union just didn’t work or the two of you simply grew in different directions.

It’s possible to divorce and move forward with positivity, to see divorce as a good thing, and that’s worth celebrating.

And even if their divorce was a hellacious affair, many still take to social media to mark the occasion. After all, pics or it didn’t happen, right?

Related Reading: Ways to Prepare for Divorce

Do Something You Always Wanted To Do

Divorce often comes with a newfound feeling of freedom and liberation, like casting off an anchor that held you down. One way many people celebrate divorce and this fresh independence is to do something they’ve always wanted to do but haven’t been able to do before.

How this urge manifests is as different as the individual people out there. Maybe you’ve always wanted to travel abroad, go on a cross-country road trip, or live in a new city. Perhaps it’s time to challenge yourself and train for that marathon you’ve dreamed of running. Have you always wanted a tattoo but your ex hated body art?

Newly unfettered by the bonds of marriage, one way to celebrate divorce is to indulge these whims.

Related Reading: Breaking Down Divorce Rates by Generation

Reinvent Yourself

Along the same lines, starting over means that you have the opportunity to start fresh and reinvent yourself. You can revamp your personal style, update your wardrobe, or get in shape. Now you have the freedom to release your dormant passions, experiment with new ones, and become the best version of yourself.

People have come up with all manner of ways to celebrate divorce. From gift cards and bumper stickers to massive parties and completely retooling their lives, endless possibilities await.

People react to ending a marriage in a variety of fashions. But it’s probably best to celebrate divorce in a positive way, to revel rather than mourn. Especially if you have children, it’s important to keep things amicable. You’ll have to deal with your ex on a continual basis, and rubbing their nose in it will likely lead to bad feelings and friction.

Related Reading: 9 Common Mediation Questions Answered