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Catharsis, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is defined as "the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions." When you have a close friend who is going through a breakup or divorce, they may find relief in the form of a divorce party with their nearest and dearest friends after a period of mourning. Get your invitations ready, start working on a playlist for the piñata-bashing event, and prepare to have some good, clean, cathartic fun!

And just what exactly makes a great divorce or breakup party? Think about a bachelorette party for inspiration. Here are some ideas to get you started:

The Playlist

The key to a good divorce party playlist is picking out songs that give you a feeling of power and optimism, so skip the country and western "crying into your beer" tunes in favor of something more along the lines of Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats." You know the one: "I dug my key into the side / Of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive / Carved my name into his leather seats / I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights..." The idea isn't that you're promoting the act of destroying the ex's legal property. However, laughing about the idea can help relieve some of those strong emotions left in the wake of a breakup or divorce.

Get a Pinata

These days you can pay someone to design a piñata to look like a portrait that you send them. Search for "pinatas made to look like someone", and you might find a few Etsy practitioners of the art. (Actually, first you might want to talk to a licensed professional counselor before you do any of this.) If that's too close to home for your friend, any sort of pinata will do, and the more fun it is, the better. A pro tip on pinatas: schedule this part of the party before any alcohol is consumed; it's safer that way.

While You're on Etsy...

If you search for the term "divorce party" on Etsy you'll find thousands of results. A few of the standouts include a whole line of "Divorced AF" merchandise, a scented candle that "Smells like freshly-signed divorce papers," t-shirts with a humorous range of slogans like "I'd like to thank my ex," coffee mugs emblazoned with snarky sentiments such as "I'm not with stupid anymore," party decorations that read "unhitched" and "just divorced," and so much more.

The Movies

Aside from activities, line up a movie playlist on your streaming queue. Some of the most popular divorce movies include The First Wives Club (Diane Keaton, Bette Midler, and Goldie Hawn), Eat Pray Love (Julia Roberts), and Under the Tuscan Sun (Diane Lane). Watching these movies with close friends who are attuned to your emotions can unleash some of those repressed emotions.

Live Action Role Playing

Take a break from the emotional roller coaster ride of your movie marathon with more physical humor, and give a whole new meaning to playing dress up. Rent sumo wrestler costumes or dress up like Renaissance fair swashbucklers or lightsaber-wielding Jedi knights. You'll bounce around and let off steam, and you'll probably laugh until your sides ache.

The Food

What do you eat at a good, cathartic divorce or breakup party? Here's one emotional-healing-yet-silly tip: gumball eyes! Pierce the candy eyeballs with hors d'oeuvres forks, cocktail garnish picks, or regular old toothpicks for an added emotional release. If any of your friends are great at cake decorating, let your imagination run wild. The sillier the better. Some of the more popular divorce party cake ideas include dead grooms, caskets, and other cheeky nods to the macabre.

Show your recently-stilted friend that they are surrounded by love and caring. Remind them how good it feels to laugh and to be loved. Keep it light, but be there with hugs and a shoulder to cry on.