We hate to say it, but Christmastime is not always a magical period filled with idyllic ice-skating dates and fairy-tale kisses in the snow. For single folks, the festive season can be a grossly unfair reminder that you have not yet met your match – or, at the very least – you have not yet met somebody to get shamelessly champagne-drunk with at the annual family gathering. Throw in the current state of the world, and it is not just singles who are choosing to be all alone on Christmas.
Okay, having a significant other to soak up Christmas with can be wonderful. However, being single at Christmas (or even spending it away from your loved one) is something to wholeheartedly embrace while you can. There is no need to spend your run-up to Christmas inhaling ice cream on the couch and sobbing along to the Love soundtrack simultaneously… although, in all honesty, this sounds pretty great.
Here are just a few reasons why being all alone for Christmas is far better than you might think.
You save cash
Yup. This might be a superficial reason, but it is undeniably true. Having a partner at Christmastime means buying them a carefully thought-out, considerably priced gift. And – if you are close to your partner’s family – you will probably have to follow the same process for them.
No partner = no forking out money for extra gifts. Plus, the amount of time that people spend trying to desperately think of an innovative present to gift their partner and their family can be extremely costly (in time and effort). Instead of spending money on gifts for other people, you can use the money on… yourself. Treat yourself.
Ditch the family politics
It is not breaking news that Christmastime is a time when both yule tidings and horrific family politics come to the forefront. Having a partner only adds to this tumultuous seasonal mix. Your family might want you to spend Christmas with them, but you might feel obligated to spend Christmas with your partner’s family.
The question is… who acquires the privilege of your exquisite presence this Christmastime?
If your partner feels obligated to stay with your family, they might resent the fact that you are ‘forcing’ them to spend time away from their families at such an important and traditionally familial time of year. This might make you feel extremely pressured to keep your partner entertained and happy over the festive period… think constantly topping up their wine glass and doting on them hand and foot. Being alone on Christmas completely eradicates this entirely grueling process.
It is one less element of family politics for you to worry about.
You can be a slob
Contrary to what we said about crying along to the Love soundtrack while eating disgusting amounts of ice cream – being a slob is an amazing part of spending Christmastime alone.
Going days without shaving, surrounding yourself with copious chocolate wrappers, and watching multiple box sets in bed are pretty difficult to accomplish when you are trying to keep your partner happy. Plus, you might want to maintain a certain level of ‘sloblessness’ around them, especially if you are in the earlier stages of your relationship.
Being single at Christmas is the perfect time for you to spend time alone being a slob and not being judged about it – the perfect combination of two very important things in life.
You can pamper yourself
We might sound like we are contradicting ourselves here – but everyone’s approach to self-care is different.
If you are not one for slobbing around, then you might want to spend the holiday season applying facemasks, lying in bed painting your toenails, reading books on the porch, and generally spending time doing the things that you enjoy. In today’s manic modern world, it’s exceptionally difficult to find the time for ourselves and the time to nurture our hobbies.
Being alone for Christmas allows you to recenter your focus. When you spend time with your partner over Christmas, you are more likely to follow the same hectic and co-dependent routine as before. This can lead to you feeling more burnt out after Christmas as opposed to relaxed and reset.
NYE plans sorted
Another political conundrum to consider here – is who to spend NYE with.
For many, NYE is a huge deal. People tend to go hard for this particular festive celebration. From dressing up ultra-fancy to essentially throwing money at club entry costs and taxis throughout the night, NYE is a certified excuse to go out and live it up large, possibly even now in 2020.
Lucky for you singles out there, the political conundrum of NYE is entirely obsolete. Bring in the bells with your best friends. Or your family. Or alone, but don’t for a second worry about anybody else’s plans besides your own. This is yet another cushy benefit of being single at Christmastime.
You have so much time
A simple yet often forgotten truth – you have so much time.
If you are spending the holiday season feeling miserable every time you pass a couple holding hands in the street – then you are wasting precious time as an empowered, single individual.
You have your entire life to meet the person of your dreams to spend Christmas with. Right now, you have the opportunity to focus on yourself and own the single dating game at a truly magical time of year.
Don’t be afraid to be all alone on Christmas! Pamper yourself, slob out, save your hard-earned cash, and spend valuable, uncomplicated time with your friends and family. Do it now – before it is too late!
