MARRIAGES

Hokitika Guardian, 23 October 1929, Page 6

MARRIAGES

STATISTICS FOR. 1928. SOME INTERESTING FACTS REVEALED. The number of marriages registered in New Zealand during 1928 was 10,537 this total representing an increase of 59 as compared with the previous year. The marriage rate of 7.58 per 1000 of the mean population is slightly lower than that for 1927 (7.62) and 0.19 per 1000 less than the preceding five-yearly average. 4 m The marriage rate of recent .yeafg; is a good deal below the average •-rate Attained in pre-war-years, and the tendency is; for the rate to decline still further. This declining movement is not only noticeable in New Zealand, but is evident in most other civilised countries. During the period 1904-13 the normal tendency was towards a gradual increase in the marriage rate, but>. the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 seriously disturbed this upward movement, and the increasing diminution in the number of males of marriageable age quickly brought the rate to a level never previously approached. Marriages are by no means evenly distributed over the year and the fluctuations that take place are interesting to note. A comparison of the number of marriages celebrated in each of the four quarters of the last three .years is given as follows Quarter ending—

1926. .1927. 1928. March 31st ... 2575 2384 2353 June 30th "... 3035 2997' 3110 September 30th 2268 2356 2208

December 31 st 2802 2741 2866 It.will be seen that the June quarter has the largest total of marriages, closely followed bv the December quarter. The fact that the Easter holidays occur during the June quarter accounts for the majority off the marriages being celebrated in that period, many couples taking advantage of the opportunity thus presented of entering upon married life at a holiday time. This theory is substantiated by a study of the figures covering a period of years, which reveals the fact that, except when Easter-falls in March, the order of numerical precedence is invariably identical with that experienced for the three years quoted above. With the exception of the holiday months of April and December, June has in each year of the last five recorded the greatest number of marriages.

Figures disclose that of all the days during 1928 on which 100 or more marriages were celebrated 'were Wednesdays, with the exception of April sth and 9th, and' December 22nd. That Wednesday is the most popular day of the week for entering into the matrimonial state is further manifested by the fact that no fewer than 4242, or 40 per cent; of the-total' marriages, were perforiued oh a'Wednesday, the next most popular da y being Thursday, with 1510 marriages, or 14 per cent.-of the total. - • '

That the element of superstition occupies a prominent place in the minds of many prospective brides and bride grooms is amply . illustrated by the figures of marriages celebrated on Fridays, which in 1928 amounted to only 461, or 4-1 per. cent of the total.-

The following is a table showing the years 1926, 1927, and 1928, and the relative degree’ of favour in which each day of the week is regarded:—

1926. 1927. 1928. Sunday. ... 41 42 53 Monday ... 1204 1155 1348 Tuesday ... 1625 1563 1507 Wednesdays ... 4638 4354 4242 Thursday ... 1442 1526 1510 Friday ... 494 494 461

Saturday ... 1236 1344 1416 The thirteenth of the month also appears to be treated with respect, hav : ing an average cjf only 12 marriages during 1928, which is easily the lowest for any one date. The general average was 29 for the year 1928. Of a total of 10,537 marriages recorded in 1928, in 9112 cases neither party had been previously married. Out of every 1000 persons married in 1914,eleven were divorced persons and. 51 widows or widowers; while the corresponding figures for 1928 were 30 and 54 respectively. ,

It is found that while 1476 divorced men re-married during the last five years, the corresponding number of women was 1649. Onjy 2662 widows re-married, as compared with 3508 widowers.

It is interesting to note that the proportion of divorced men re-marrying is considerably higher in the large towns and cities than in the country districts. The most sparsely populated areas have the greatest proportion of bachelors married during the year. This is also reflected in the separate figures for the two islands, which show that in the more densely populated North Island, the proportion of divorced men who re-marry is noticeably in excess of that for the South Island, the disparity being compensated for by the reverse position in the figures of bachelors.

Of the 21,074 persons married in 1928 , 2407 or 11 per cent were under 21 years of age, 13.172 or 62 per cent, were returned ns 21 and under 30, 3622, or 17 per cent., as 30 and under 4Q, and 1873, or 10 per cent., as years of age or over. Taking the 2407 persons married under 21 years of age, it is found that were bridegrooms and 2038 brides, these., fi"ures being slightly greater than in. 1927—361 and 1955 respectively. Of the bridegrooms, one was between 16 and 17, three were between 17 and 18, and 36 between 18 and 19. Of the brides, one was between 14 and 15, 10 were between 15 and 16, and 70 between 16. and 17, ,

.Dealing with the individual ages, it is found that the age of 24 held pride of place with bridegrooms and the age of 21 with brides, The latter has remained unaltered for many years, but in the case of bridegroom's, what may be termed the most popular age has varied considerably.