After Brandi Stellers finalized her divorce, she invited close friends to a party. She mixed signature cocktails, hung a “Bye Felecia” sign and passed out fake rose petals to throw in the air. Party decorations included a picture of a pair of penguins ripped in the middle. Stellers chose to tear the penguins in half because they’re monogamous birds who mate for life, and she’s not a penguin anymore.
The newly divorced are throwing themselves parties to celebrate their liberation from unhappy marriages, almost like inverse bachelorette parties. Stellers said she wanted to celebrate a new chapter, not a divorce, with people she loves and wants the best for her. For most of history, divorce hasn’t been something advertised to the world, but a culture shift is underway. The divorce rate in the U.S. has been decreasing, but those who get them feel compelled to celebrate their breakups.
According to Gallup polls, the number of American adults who consider divorce morally acceptable has hit historic highs. Divorce lawyer Nicole Sodoma said divorce used to be something to shy away from due to stereotypes and societal pressures. However, today, people have decided to nip the societal shame in the bud and embrace divorce as another life state that some people experience.
On Amazon and Etsy, you’ll see divorce swag like “End of an Error” sashes, “Thank U, Next” rose-gold balloons, and “I do. I did. I’m done” shirts. According to Swasti Sarna, Global Director of Data Insights at Pinterest, search trends show that people are gaining a new viewpoint on divorce. Searches on the online platform for “divorce party games” increased by 80 percent, and searches for “divorce cakes” also increased by 50 percent in June 2022 from the previous year. There were also increases in searches for “divorce gifts” and divorce-party decorating ideas.
Nadine Adamson had her Los Angeles friends fly to New York, where they booked the hotel suite where she stayed for her wedding for her divorce party. The four friends burned sage in the suite to expel the negative vibes, then filled the suite with balloons, ate dinner, and had a sleepover. Adamson said she wasn’t ashamed of her divorce or divorce party and saw being married in New York for 12 years as a huge success. She continues to post on Instagram with the hashtag #divorceparty as a way to highlight her new life, like upgrading her Brooklyn brownstone with a wood-burning fireplace.
A few months ago, a Reddit user wrote, “I guess divorce parties are a thing?” in a post that drew almost 4,000 comments. The poster had a picture of an invitation from a divorcing couple throwing a joint divorce party. It said, “Plus ones are welcome. Ours will be there!” Some businesses are also starting to cater to newly divorced men. For example, Stripe Street Studio, a design firm created in 2020, specializes in helping single and divorced men set up homes.
On Pinterest, searches for the catchphrase “divorced dad aesthetic” increased by 300 percent in June from last year. Some may question why people would celebrate a divorce. Instead of seeing it as an end, more people are starting to see it as a new beginning.
