Ask anyone what it’s like to be single at Christmas, and they’ll likely picture an exhausted woman crying on the sofa, a bottle of red wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She has frizzy hair, puffy eyes, a hangover but somehow drunk, and ends up surrounded by a graveyard of chocolate wrappers.
This is the social script we’ve all been sold into, not just Bridget Jones. The idea that being single at Christmas is a crime against humanity is so ingrained that an entire dating season (“cuffing season”) is dedicated to the idea of befriending someone purely to get through the holiday season. There is. Because God forbid you. I have to go alone. When your relatives ask about your love life, they’re more likely to cry on the couch at family gatherings or give you sympathetic looks.
But having lived through several Christmases as a single woman, I’ve learned that these sad little acts that have been played out ad nauseum on screen (see also “The Holidays”) don’t have to be the way they are. I can say this with considerable confidence. reality. In fact, no matter what the Christmas rom-coms say, I’d argue that now is the best time of year to be single.
Think about it. Is there any month other than December where there is something that makes you feel happy no matter where you look?Christmas lights lining the streets. An obnoxiously large tree adds a touch of glamor to the shop window. Silly little ornaments that hang from anything that has a hook. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not (I don’t), there is an undeniable spirit of joy dancing around us during the Christmas period.
This feeling is also exacerbated by a packed calendar. There are also work parties. Reuniting with old friends once a year. I like to complain, but I’d rather wrap myself in velvet and sequins and go to various social gatherings, knowing I might or might not kiss someone, than sit at home and work out. Going back and forth is objectively much more fun. How to avoid in-laws.
Socializing is high at this time of year, so there’s plenty of opportunity for romantic relationships under the mistletoe. That’s rarely the case, especially in the summer, when people jump between annual family vacations, couples retreats, and weddings. Even if nothing happens, it’s still good to know that it’s a possibility.
