Thursday is statistically the worst day of the week to get married, with a higher divorce rate than any other, according to a new survey carried out by Paddy Power Games. The study found that 16% of weddings that occurred on a Thursday led to an early end for the marriage.
Those who say ‘I do’ on a Thursday are five times more likely to say ‘It’s over’ when compared to those who tie the knot on a Sunday. Fridays (13%) and Saturdays (12%) are also unlucky for those hoping for a happy ever after.
Paddy Power Games also asked respondents how long their marriage had lasted, unearthing double doom for those who chose to put a ring on it midweek. The data suggests that marriages typically lasted an average of 11.5 years, officially crowning Thursday the unluckiest day of the week for weddings.
Despite Saturday’s high divorce rate, those that do stay together, do so for the longest time, according to the survey. In fact, survivors of Saturday celebrations have solid staying power, lasting almost twice as long (19.8 years) as people who got married on a Thursday (11.5 years)
The research also investigated typical superstitions associated with wedding days, including the belief that rainfall on the ‘big day’ is lucky. And it turns out that this superstition in particular does stand up to scrutiny.
Just 9% of couples who reported experiencing light rain on their special day ended in divorce. Meanwhile, things look up for those who endured downpours as the stats suggest they are least likely to split, with just 5% calling time on their marriage. But not all Brits buy into good luck signs, and almost half (45%) dismiss the idea that any wedding superstition is true.
And, with the ‘first look’ trend taking hold, where couples steal a secret glance at each other before the ceremony, the study found that just a third of couples bother keeping apart (34%) these days.
A spokesperson for Paddy Power Games said: “If we’re totally honest, the most shocking finding of this entire study was that 8% of Brits couldn’t get past question one because they couldn’t remember what day of the week they got married.
“In light of that fact, it probably shouldn’t be so surprising to find that more than a fifth of those individuals are now divorced!”
