The holiday seasons are supposed to bring families together in love and joy, except may be for marriages. According to a study released earlier this year, the holiday season is actually causing the number of divorces to spike.
Divorce is Seasonal
Divorce rates go up and down throughout the year, initially thought to be at random. According to the new data gathered by sociologists at University of Washington, divorces may be rising following the holiday season. Researchers spend 14 years between 2001 and 2015 studying couples and the state of their marriages. The results they found were quite shocking.
The data collected in the state of Washington showed that the number of divorces peaked around March and August, which are the months following the summer and Christmas holidays. These spikes were too consistent to ignore. The patterns didn’t changed even after factoring in issues such as unemployment and housing.
Along with divorces, suicides are also known to spike in spring.
Could Stress of the Holidays be a Possible Reason?
Though the scientists found that divorces indeed go up as the holiday seasons wane, they were flabbergasted as to why this may be. There could be several possible reasons. The holidays are supposed to bring people together. Then again, anyone who sits all the way through Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner knows how stressful the holidays can be in more ways than one.
Holidays are particularly financially stressful. Buying Christmas presents and holding get-togethers in the years after the Great Recession has put severe strains on many families. As the holiday seasons nears, the stress goes through the roof and arguments break out. Things may be said that should not have been said. So it’s no wonder that come March, some of the spouses are calling divorce lawyers.
Having relatives over for Christmas or Thanksgiving is no picnic either. Family arguments during this time are common. The holidays also bring together family members of many parts of the country and even the world. People who gather may have greatly differing views on various aspects of life, which is a natural hotbed for nasty arguments to break out. If one spouse didn’t like the other spouse’s family before, the holidays may not do much to change opinions.
The holidays can be a tipping point for relationships that are already on the rocks. People who may get into arguments throughout the year will see their family situations worsened under the stress of holidays. Generally speaking, researchers say that married couples become disillusioned with their partners when their holidays don’t live up to expectations, which may cause many to abandon the marriage altogether.
Can Your Marriage Survive the Holidays?
Marriages that can overcome the holidays may be more resilient than others. Even if arguments occur in a relationship, what matters most is how the aftermath is handled. If your spouse doesn’t like your family, a good partner would respect that sentiment and act to diffuse the tension, rather than blame the partner.
It’s not always easy to embrace the spirit of the holidays. In a strange way, the holidays can be sort of a test to see what kind of a couple you are. Are you two supportive of each other? Can you choose your marriage over relationships with relatives? Your answers to these questions matter a lot to your marriage.
