The Best Ways To Celebrate Divorce

Not every divorce turns into a knock-down-drag-out brawl between spouses. Still, even in the best cases, they’re often tense, stressful, emotional times. Afterward, you may need to blow off some steam or take a deep breath and relax.

People love an excuse to party, whether it’s a promotion at work or the Seahawks making a playoff run. Increasingly, couples untying the knot choose to celebrate divorce.

Most of us think of divorce as a serious, somber moment. And it usually is. It marks the end of a major moment in our lives. No one likes to admit that a relationship didn’t work out, failed miserably, or that maybe we didn’t know our spouse as well as we thought.

Why Celebrate Your Divorce?

Let’s face it, if you get to the point of divorce, your relationship probably isn’t particularly healthy. Getting out, moving on, and closing the book on that painful chapter usually works out for the best. But just because it’s necessary, that doesn’t make it easy.

While divorce marks an end, it also marks a beginning. You get to embark on a whole new phase of your life.

Though that’s often nerve-wracking, it’s also exciting. And what better reason to enjoy yourself than to put a painful, difficult time behind you and head towards something better?

Divorce Celebration Ideas

People celebrate divorce in many ways. Some burn leftover mementos from their marriage. You can buy or make miniature coffins to bury your wedding ring. It takes various forms, but let’s look at some positive, festive, and downright fun ways people celebrate divorce.

1. Throw A Divorce Party

So you want to celebrate divorce. What’s a celebration without a party? Odds are, you had a party when you got married, so why not have one at the end? And as you breathe a sigh of relief, it’s a great time to be surrounded by friends, loved ones, and well-wishers.

Divorce parties come in many shapes and sizes. Some folks are more comfortable sharing a low-key dinner and drinks with a few friends. Others want an all-out rager that doesn’t end until the break of dawn or the cops show up.

How you celebrate divorce depends on personal preference, but this type of thing has become commonplace. Party planners routinely field requests for everything from the subdued to the outrageous.

Related Reading: How to File for Divorce in Washington

2. Celebrate Divorce With A Cake

You can even celebrate divorce with a custom divorce cake. After all, you can’t throw a proper divorce party without a divorce cake, can you? Wedding cakes are such a symbolic part of marriage, and divorce cakes add a touch of poetic justice to the act of dissolving one.

Just do a quick Google search and you’ll come up with more divorce cake ideas than you ever thought possible. You’ll find everything from simple sheet cakes with “Freedom” written in frosting, to chocolate ball and chains, and even monsters devouring cartoon exes. There must be a certain catharsis to literally biting your ex’s head off, even if it’s only a cookie version.

Related Reading: How Long Does Divorce Take?

3. Delete Your Ex’s Phone Number

This obviously won’t work if you have kids and there’s a continuing shared child custody situation, but there’s a level of finality when you delete your ex’s number from your phone. And you don’t have to stop there.

In all likelihood, you have many numbers you may never need again. Your ex’s parents, siblings, friends, work line, and others. Clean house, get rid of them all.

If you truly want to celebrate divorce like this, you can get some friends together to help. Have them delete your ex’s number, too. You can even turn it into a drinking game if you’re feeling rowdy.

Related Reading: The Most Common Reasons for Divorce

4. Take A Divorce Selfie

Selfies pop up everywhere, so people choosing to celebrate divorce by snapping one probably shouldn’t surprise anyone. Couples who end their marriage amicably have started taking to social media to share their enthusiasm with friends and followers.

It’s not uncommon to see a smiling, otherwise happy-looking couple showing off divorce papers or newly ring-free fingers. Not every marriage works out. Sometimes people simply grow apart. While divorce has a reputation for conflict, that’s not always the case.

These divorce selfies celebrate divorce in a way that shows it’s possible to end a marriage on a positive note and move on with your life. Divorce often represents a positive change, and that’s worth applauding.

Related Reading: Keeping Custody Exchanges Civil

5. Do Something Your Ex Would Hate

Do something your ex would hate, but that you’ve always wanted to do. Divorce often brings with it a newfound sense of liberation. One way people indulge this freedom is by doing something they couldn’t or wouldn’t do because of an ex.

Like many other items on this list, what this looks like varies by personal preference. Maybe you always wanted to travel abroad but your ex refused to leave the States. Or you’ve dreamed of living in a new city, but your ex wanted to stay close to family.

Have you always thought you’d look good with a tattoo but your ex hated them? Now that you find yourself free from these bonds, you can indulge these urges.

Related Reading: Storytime: An Epic Divorce Saga

6. Move On With Your Life

Despite the way many people react, you may not want to celebrate divorce. You may feel disappointment, confusion, fear, and a wide range of emotions. Even if you’re relieved and happy to be out of a bad marriage.

It’s important to recognize these emotions and learn from them and the experience you’ve been through. This can and should be an important learning experience. You can come out of this with a clearer understanding of who you are and what you want and need.

While accepting your emotions is important, don’t dwell too long. It becomes far too easy to wallow in depression or grief. Eventually, even if you don’t celebrate a divorce, you need to shake it off and move forward.

Moving on from a bad marriage gives you the chance to start fresh. You can reinvent yourself, change your style, or get in shape. Now you’re free to indulge in long-shelved passions, explore new ones, and become a better version of yourself. Some people make minor changes here and there while others completely overhaul their lives. How you move forward is up to you.

Related Reading: 5 Divorce Urban Legends That Many Accept as Fact