CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL MARRIAGE WEEK 7-14 FEBRUARY
WHAT IS IT?
The vision of Marriage Week International is to encourage the development and support of Marriage Week’s in 75 nations of the World by 2021.
Marriage Week in a nation draws together media, business, government, faith groups and in fact anyone who cares about marriage. Thousands of local events occur each year in bars, restaurants, community halls, and more often than not in Churches.
Historically Marriage Week’s would only occur to coincide with Valentines Day, however increasingly Marriage Week’s are occurring at different times of the year, such as Ukraine in May, and Australia in September.
Marriage Week celebrates the diversity and vibrancy of marriage as the basis for family life.
We are convinced that marriage is a brilliant institution that all of society should celebrate. Hence Marriage Week, a time to say “Wake up. Marriage is a great idea”, and since a healthy marriage is a skill, let’s learn some new skills to turn our marriages from good to very good!
We believe that a great marriage can be learnt, just the same way as a person can learn to read a book, drive a car or ski down a mountain.
WHY MARRIAGE WEEK?
Life is pretty busy, and many couples just forget each other along the way, it’s so easy to get caught up in for example; career, children, housing and just forget and just forget your spouse. So Marriage Week is about reminding a nation to prioritise each other during Marriage Week. You never know your Marriage Week might grow into a year of Marriage Week’s.
Marriage remains incredibly popular – over 90% of young people aspire to be married at some point in the future, and the large majority will achieve this. Two out of every three first marriages will last until one partner dies, and one in two second or subsequent marriages will also last a lifetime.
In the United Kingdom the divorce rate (the number of divorces per 1000 married couples) has remained virtually static since the early 1980’s. Current research suggests that the enduring stability of marriage results from the commitment that two people make to each other, embodied in their vows, and supported by family, friends, and society at large.
Many couples today however come to marriage to celebrate the stability of their relationships rather than to initiate them, so we see couples marrying later in life, often after living together for a period prior to marriage.
VALUES AND AIMS
Marriage provides the best possible foundation for individuals who choose to partner for the long term to play a full and meaningful part in contributing towards a secure society, and that marriage provides the most beneficial environment in which to conceive and raise children.
Marriage is recognised and uniquely valued in all cultures and nations. It involves a private commitment, and a public declaration before witnesses to a relationship which is both permanent, exclusive and voluntarily entered into.
MW encourages as many groups as possible to host an event, or events during the 7-14th February each year designed to celebrate marriage or educate couples.
MW encourages promotional strategies amongst partner groups such as; action groups, church networks, businesses, secular agencies and political bodies who support the same aims and values.
MW is not a forum to propagate a particular political or religious opinion or view, other than that expressed above. However MW recognises that churches and other faith groups in a local context will draw upon a rich religious history to express MW.
Marriage is a lifestyle choice open to all irrespective of race creed or religion which reaches backwards into history, and forwards into the future, to which men and women for generations have participated.
WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
What Does Marriage Week Look Like?
- Modern, friendly and encouraging, while retaining traditional principles and values;
Could mean discovering through reading a newspaper article how to resolve conflict, or a couple attending an "improve your love-life" workshop;
- Is a platform for Christian churches, other faith communities, secular agencies, Government initiatives and community schemes to promote their services;
- Has been building a clear interfaith and ethnically appropropriate persona, drawing in key figures from a variety of faith and professsional backgrounds;
- Is born from mainstream Christian figures and organisations, so it will always have a Christian distinctive - while welcoming, accommodating and being much the weaker without the active participation of others.