Around the world, marriage plays an important role in bolstering social stability

Marriage was around in one form or another long before written history. From bonds between two people to large polyamorous gatherings of spouses, the rich history of marriage practices demonstrates that partnerships have been, and will likely continue to be, incredibly diverse.

Marriage as a concept is believed to be at least 4,300 years old

In the past, formal marriage spread because it was a great way to accumulate property and allies. Now, some couples want love and healthy companionship. Marriage has undergone many transformations, from the inclusion of consent, thanks to religious leaders, to sanctification by the state.

Divorces in the US have been steadily declining over the past few decades

Despite these recent declines, divorce rates in the US remain between 40% and 50%. But there’s some nuance to those numbers. For instance, having a college degree makes individuals 30% less likely to divorce than those without one. People who attend church are also less likely to divorce. And prenuptial agreements are considerably likely to prevent contentious court battles.

Marriage is experiencing a general decline

Marriage has taken drastically different forms than in the past. The transformation of marriage from a form of economic dependency for women to an equal partnership has forged demographic shifts. Richard Reeves, author of "Of Boys and Men," explains how economic and educational factors have potentially destabilized partnerships and changed patterns of “marriageability” for middle- and lower-class men.

Anthropologists have found that, across the globe, nearly every culture embraces marriage customs

Despite these commonalities, different cultures have distinct customs, such as the number of people who can be married at one time, the types of marriage partners allowed, and whether elaborate ceremonies are observed. Families can range from the smaller nuclear unit to extensive multi-generation families and households.

King Henry VIII's first divorce is likely the most famous divorce of all time

How often does a divorce change the course of a nation? When English King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in the 1500s, Catholicism was the national religion. Even though Catherine didn't produce a male heir, religious leaders refused to grant his wish. In response, King Henry turned his country upside down for the chance to marry the second of his six wives.

Couples therapy has seen a massive boom in recent years

70% of therapists offer couples counseling. Experts predict continuous growth in the field. With so many marriages ending in divorce, more couples are recognizing the potential for therapy to get them back on track. And parents are starting to see the impacts of divorce on their children and their own mental health.

Variations of marriage existed in ancient West Africa

The enormous landmass of Africa has been home to numerous cultures and countries, and there’s been no singular way to get married. One striking aspect has been the matrilineal belt across central Africa, where wealth was passed down through the female, rather than the male, line. In some regions, it was also acceptable for a woman to take more than one husband.

Love is a more recent part of marriage

Love matches are incredibly late to the marriage game. For most of our history, marriage has been about alliance, wealth, property, power, and, as an occasional afterthought, the couple liking each other. All that changed when Enlightenment thinkers were inspired in their pursuit of personal happiness, including in their choice of mate.

Marriages are more at risk when the woman is sick

A study tracking 25,000 copies over 18 years revealed marriages tend to end in divorce more often when the woman is sick. Conversely, men's health issues do not impact divorce rates. Researchers noted that increased depression, potentially as a result of financial dependence, contributes to the disparity. Generally, most marriages do not end when a spouse becomes sick.

Social scientists hold various beliefs about the role of marriage in our lives

Functionalists believe that marriage fulfills specific needs, while conflict theory highlights inherent power struggles within a couple’s relationship.

Marriage rates are declining, especially in the richest countries

89% of the world’s population now live in countries with falling rates. Increasing costs of living, the financial burden of starting a family, and the rise of secularism are some of the key factors reducing marriage rates among the less affluent.

Marriage is a legally and socially sanctioned union

Marriage's definition may seem simple—a union of two or more people who join their lives together in a culturally appropriate fashion. However, elaborate customs and diverse expectations dictate the roles spouses will play for one another. Across different regions and periods, marriages have taken a great number of forms.

As of 2021, 25% of 40-year-olds in the United States had never been married

If you’re in your forties and without a college degree, you’re significantly less likely to have ever been married now than in the past. Ditto for Black 40-year-olds and middle-aged men. There’s been a huge jump from the 6% of 40-year-olds who had never been married in 1980. Despite the historical significance of marriage, the trend away from wedded bliss has been rising steadily over the past three decades.

A third of US couples have opted for a 'sleep divorce'

A 2023 survey of roughly 2,000 US adults showed roughly a third of the participants opted to stay in a different room from their partner at night. Reasons for the so-called "sleep divorce" varied, from snoring issues to offset schedules. The survey, run by the American Academy for Sleep Medicine, also revealed the most sleep divorces within millennials. See the study for more on this change in sleep habits.

Each state has its own regulations regarding marriage

Some states don’t even require a ceremony or license, opting to allow “common law” marriages. Prenuptial agreements and other legal matters will likely require an attorney’s help. And marriages can offer benefits, like tax breaks.

Why art history is filled with miserable brides

Paintings from the 19th century are filled with unhappy brides. The women are often visibly disturbed by their pending nuptials, sometimes even during the wedding ceremony. This Artnet article unpacks four famous examples of this trend, analyzing how and why the respective artists portrayed these disappointed figures.

France once had a reproduction czar to help midwives deliver babies

Much ado is made about falling marriage and birth rates worldwide, and how they might affect tax bases, retirement funds, and social standing. But this isn’t the first time marriage, and subsequently reproduction, have fallen out of favor. Some countries have resorted to drastic measures to restore the tarnished state of these hallowed institutions.

Ancient Chinese marriages began with an elaborate marriage proposal and acceptance between families

The chief objectives of early Chinese marriages involved joining and enhancing the two families and ensuring succession with numerous descendants. Chinese couples still compare astrological signs, although some of the more elaborate rituals of betrothal gifts and sleeping in the “cock loft” are far less common.

How couples today manage their finances

In relationships, shared bank accounts used to be the default. Not anymore. Many couples maintain separate finances for practical reasons or to retain greater independence, though many couples experience trust issues as a result. This article checks in on the status of relationship finances and highlights, among other insights, how attitudes toward money are often determined by family history.

Use this interactive tool to see which occupations have the highest and lowest divorce rates.

Two-spirit relationships and identities

Queer relationships and transgender people aren’t new. Even though gay marriage has been legalized fairly recently in Western countries, people all over the world have engaged in relationships beyond heterosexuality throughout the centuries. Although contemporary tribes have various views around homosexuality, there are numerous examples of queer relationships within indigenous traditions across what is now called the Americas.

For most of human history, property rights were in the elite’s hands

Humans learned to domesticate dogs long before they formed the concept of private property. But by the era of the ancient Greeks and Romans, property law and ownership became more sophisticated.

Should married couples combine finances?

Millennials who live together are more likely to keep their finances separate than any previous generation. After all, as people get married later in life and enter marriage with more assets and financial independence, some argue that the traditional route is risky. But others point to research that suggests couples who combine their finances are still happier than those who don't. To learn more, watch this video.

Ghost weddings used to be more common

Ghost weddings are marriages between two deceased parties, or one living and one dead partner. They satisfy departed family members’ needs for companionship and peace in the afterlife, according to Chinese spiritual beliefs. Unfortunately, since ghost marriages are pricey and can include the mingling of mortal remains, murderers and grave robbers have, at times, sought to supply spouses through nefarious means.

Men and women didn't evolve to perform segregated hunter-gatherer duties

The often-cited theory that men evolved to hunt and women evolved to gather is wrong. This article explores the origins of the "Man the Hunter" theory and the mounting evidence that undermines it. Exercise science indicates that those assigned...

40% of Americans polled by Pew Research Center felt pessimistic about marriage

Black and Asian respondents reported more pessimism about marriage than white or Hispanic respondents. Over half of Republicans feel negatively about the future of marriage, while only 25% of Democrats felt the same.

In Ghana, newly married couples jump over a broom to ward off evil and welcome new beginnings

Weddings are surrounded by rituals, no matter how simple. These include slathering the couple with food, feathers, and soot and parading them around town in Scotland; Chinese tea ceremonies filled with gratitude; and breaking fine porcelain in Germany. Every family has their own rituals, and wealthy couples are more likely to engage in more lavish ceremonies.

A medievalist explains how romantic love emerged as a cultural concept

Many long-form stories written in English were originally considered "romances," a term derived from the Old French word for "the speech of the people." But changes in medieval culture, triggered by a number of 12th-century church reforms, led to a new interest in what we now consider romantic love, including a new view of marriage as a pursuit of love rather than a transaction. Those new perspectives were then reflected in the period's popular stories, including stories in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales."

'Sesame Street' scrapped an episode about divorce because tests showed it deeply upset children

The 1992 episode, entitled "Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce," left test audiences concerned rather than comforted, with many children left in tears. The show canned the episode before it aired and didn't address divorce until 20 years later, with a 13-minute online-only segment.

Interracial and same-sex marriages have both been illegal at certain times during US history

June 12 marks Loving Day, the date when interracial marriage was legalized in 1967. A brave Virginia couple fought back against anti-miscegenation laws, which were finally struck down by the Supreme Court. The Court also ruled for the protection of same-sex marriages in 2015.

In 1924, the department store Marshall Field's invented the first modern 'wedding registry'

However, there were many traditions around wedding gifts before the wedding registry was invented, too—from dowries to marriage chests. Read about the history of the wedding registry in this article.

The American middle class started imitating high-society weddings in an attempt to establish its status around the 1920s

Marshall Field's, a retailer based out of Chicago, published the first bridal registry in 1924. Brides magazine—which was geared to women creating elaborate wedding celebrations—debuted in 1934. This article dives into more of the wedding-industrial complex's history.

Matrilineal societies—where women led households—were common among Northeastern natives

Such societies also viewed women as leaders in spiritual matters. Both men and women held political roles as clan leaders and worked in tandem with an advisory council.

A scholarly analysis of romance's enduring popularity

Diane Winston, a media scholar at the University of Southern California, argues that romance novels have remained popular because they've historically offered women shame-free ways to explore their identities and sexualities. She notes that's even more true today, with contemporary romance novels, from romantasy bestsellers to "Heated Rivalry," more willingly explore social dynamics.

Wedding rings can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where the ring symbolized eternity

The tradition later spread through Greece and Rome, evolving with precious gems during the medieval period. Diamonds became central after De Beers' 1947 "a diamond is forever" campaign, boosting sales by 50% in three years.

The story of Sporus, the castrated boy who married Emperor Nero

Ancient Romans’ views of homosexuality are quite different from Western understandings. Nero was an emperor is infamous for his cruelty, and appears to have heaped that cruelty upon Sporus, a boy he fell for and married in a public ceremony. As a slave, Sporus was held captive at the whims of Nero and subject to the class-based rules on same-sex relationships in ancient times.

The ancient Greeks and Romans were known to take vacations.