Divorces are often messy, and one or both spouses will likely feel resentment about the situation. However, once a divorce is final, the ex-spouses may feel relieved or even overjoyed to be free from that chapter of their lives. Some people may look down upon the idea of celebrating a divorce, but it can be a positive experience in some cases.
Divorce parties have become increasingly popular in recent years, and although some believe they are in bad taste, they can be cathartic for people who escaped abusive or destructive relationships, according to our experienced Orange County divorce attorneys. Some of the traditions emerging from these divorce parties include shooting the wedding dress with paintball guns, smashing wedding cakes, and broken ball-and-chain themes. This can be fun for some people, but it’s important to know the difference between a cathartic celebration to blow off steam and a self-centered, cynical way to spite an ex-spouse.
When Should I Celebrate?
If your marriage was a disaster and your divorce messy, it can be incredibly liberating to finalize it so you can move on. Some people need the ritual of celebration after certain milestones for closure, and a divorce party or some type of celebration may be acceptable in these situations. Everyone has a different healing process after a traumatic, chaotic event such as a failed marriage, so don’t judge someone too harshly if he or she decides to throw a divorce celebration.
Instead of a full-blown party that some may find in poor taste, you may want to simply treat yourself for a bit after your divorce. Take some time off work to go on vacation with friends or take a trip somewhere you always wanted to go. You may want to simply buy yourself a few nice things you’ve always wanted to boost self-confidence and mood after a messy divorce. However you decide to celebrate, keep it tasteful, and recognize it as a sign to move on instead of just an excuse to throw yourself a party.
Friends of a recently divorced person may also decide to throw a party for him or her to lighten the mood after a rough divorce. Some ex-spouses don’t want to divorce, but their exes leave them with no alternative. When a divorce is inevitable and pushed by one of the spouses, the other is likely to have very strong feelings afterward, and a divorce party can help them move on in a fun and lighthearted way. It’s important to take your friend’s feelings into consideration. If he or she is taking the divorce too hard, throwing him or her a party may simply be salt in the wound.
When Couples Celebrate Divorce Together
Oddly enough, some divorced couples decide to throw parties together as a way to move on. This is common in mutually agreeable divorces when the ex-spouses want to remain friends. If the couple shared friends, a divorce party can sometimes take the awkwardness out of the situation to make everyone feel more at ease and eliminate the compulsion to “take sides.”
These mutual divorce celebrations are sometimes cathartic for the rest of the family, too. Older children who watched their parents fighting for years may feel relief after the divorce and they see both parents relieved and stress-free. A celebration like this can actually help a family come back together after a divorce and reduce the tension.
Ultimately, the decision to throw a celebration for a divorce is an individual choice. If you feel the need to mark the occasion with a celebration or you simply feel like you deserve a chance to celebrate, a divorce party could be right for you.
