Unusual celebrations for new divorcee

An American woman has been treated to some slightly out of the ordinary gifts upon the finalisation of her divorce.

New Yorker Stacey Carkhuff was married to her husband for 20 years and to celebrate the end of the relationship, her friends decided to throw her a party and shower her with presents.

Among the gifts the 44-year-old received were lingerie, flavoured condoms and a garter emblazoned with the words 'bad girl', the Columbia News Service reports.

And the festivities included the lighting of candles while Ms Carkhuff recited 30 phrases, including "only half the dishes to wash" and "no seat up on the toilet".

She told the paper: "It was like bachelorette party gifts, preparing me for my new life, with sexy underwear, a new address book. It helped me boost up my ego."

Wanda Halstead, the founder of a divorce support group in Virginia, believes that presents can be a good way to help people cope with divorce although, adding that some gifts can be of an unusual nature.

"With every passing year there are more and more divorce items on the market. Maybe there are people who need an ex voodoo doll to make them feel better."