WSJ: Thanksgiving in the Era of Gray Divorce

Rising divorce rates among people over 50—so-called gray divorce—are complicating family holidays like Thanksgiving, normally beloved for its simple focus on food, gratitude and togetherness. 

Nearly 40% of people divorcing are 50 and older, up from 27% in 2010, according to researchers at the National Center for Family and Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University, in Ohio. That’s an estimated 710,000 gray divorces compared with 640,000 in 2010. Researchers based their analysis on the 2022 American Community Survey, the latest data available.

The rise is even steeper among those 65 and older, where the number of people divorcing has increased about 65% since 2010.

“Togetherness at Thanksgiving is no longer certain,” says Susan Brown, sociologist and co-director of the center. “Scripts have to be rewritten.”

Read the entire article here: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/relationships/thanksgiving-divorced-parents-adult-children-d97ccd40?mod=wsjhp_columnists_pos_3