Should we celebrate divorce?

Divorce is the new wedding, if the latest divorce party trend is anything to go by. And it’s all thanks to divorcee of the year, Cheryl Cole, according to UK party organisers Ounces2Pounds.

One divorcee made £4900 from old pieces of junk jewellery given by ex boyfriends and husbands. As seven-times divorced socialite, Zsa Zsa Gabor once said: “I never hated a man enough to give him his diamonds back.”

The X Factor judge reportedly arranged her own divorce party to coincide with England’s first World Cup match. Whilst England fans were left disappointed by their team’s World Cup efforts, Team Cheryl fans are fast following the leading ladies lead, tin cans trailing.

Seven Cheryl Cole divorce parties were held recently in the UK. Many women feel that divorce marks a new beginning and that celebrating can turn a usually negative situation into a party full of positives.

As well as the usual party fun, games and Cheryl Cole party masks, divorce parties are also a way for scorned women to sell the fruits of their labour. One divorcee made £4900 from old pieces of junk jewellery given by ex boyfriends and husbands. As seven-times divorced socialite, Zsa Zsa Gabor once said: “I never hated a man enough to give him his diamonds back.”

Back in January, Debenhams cashed in on the fact that Britain has one of the highest divorce rates by launching the first in-store divorce registry. The divorce version of the wedding gift list included suggestions of useful presents to give to someone recently divorced. Just as you thought all was lost...kerching.

It’s not just here in the UK that divorce has become a reason to be cheerful. Over in Japan, divorce ceremonies are on the rise- 251,000 took place in 2008. These often include the unhappy couple ‘untying the knot’ in the same celebratory fashion that they once tied it. Ceremonies include the smashing of the ring with a mallet and a toast to ‘never see each other again.’ Oh, the joy.

Whilst it may, for some, be a great excuse for a party during a time normally spent trying to convince people you’re all right, through glazed eyes, for others it makes a mockery of marriage.

Where there’s fun, there’s also feelings at stake and events such as this could be deemed as callous and ungraceful- no matter what the circumstances of your separation are. In most cases, there will always be someone who may not be so celebratory of the demise of the marriage and see a party as a bitter and twisted final blow.

In one very extreme case in East Cleveland earlier this year, a bodybuilder went into a rage about his ex-wife’s divorce party and subsequently murdered her. One poster at the party read: ‘Katrina's divorce party. Free at last.’ And a photo of her ex-husband had the words: ‘Pin the tail on the ex’ on it.

Divorce is never an easy option so whilst on the surface a Cheryl Cole mask at a divorce party can cover up all manner of relationship scars, the real wounds inside will remain raw. All isn’t always fair in love and war, and there will no doubt be plenty of joy and heartache caused by divorce parties- but do you think it’s morally right to throw such a brazen bash?