Being single during the holidays has this stigma of being the absolute worst… when, to be honest, it can kind of be the best.
For starters: it can be much cheaper. Because you’re not worried about finding the perfect gift for your significant other. Sure, you might have only spent $150 on spoiling your s/o and instead you’re now going to spend $200 on a spa day for you… But trust me, the math works out.
It’s like spending $20 more to get free shipping. Shopping math doesn’t have to make sense (and that’s coming from an engineer).
What I’m Wearing:
Wrap: LOFT / Top: LOFT / Skirt: J.Crew / Purse: Sole Society / Shoes: Cole Haan
Earrings: J.Crew (similar) / Rings: BaubleBar, BaubleBar / Nail Polish: Essie
In all honesty, being single during the holidays can be hard. Not only is your family constantly peppering you with questions about when you’re going to find a mate… But, everywhere you look, there are people talking about romance. Stupid Hallmark movies. People getting engaged left and right. All of those Black Friday commercials which could feature friends exchanging gifts, but instead feature couples kissing in time to Carol of the Bells.
TBH I don’t know if that commercial actually exists, but I feel like it’s only a matter of time until it gets made IRL. Probably by Target.
Last year, I had seventeen friends and acquaintances get engaged over the holidays. SEVENTEEN. It was absolutely absurd. Sure, that obviously reminded me of the fact that I was (slash am) seriously and hopelessly single… but being so hopelessly single during the holidays doesn’t mean that everything sucks.
How to Deal with Being Single During the Holidays (and Why It’s Secretly the Best)
In addition to the aforementioned benefit of getting to spend that hard-earned moolah on pampering yourself (or spending more on other friends and family… or, you know, saving it), being single during the holidays means that there’s no fight about where to spend each holiday. It’s not even a discussion. You can do what you want to do.
Last year, while all of my coupled-off friends were negotiating where to spend each holiday with their s/o’s, I was sitting pretty in Colorado, playing Cards Against Humanity with my parents and our friends. As my friends were exchanging gifts (and likely being underwhelmed by what they received in return) on Christmas day, I was going to see the new Star Wars movie with my father and eating dinner at my favorite restaurant. Sure, that was partially because I’m Jewish and we don’t celebrate Christmas so we basically always do a movie on Christmas day… but it still counts.
Yes, you’re going to get questioned by your grandmother about why you aren’t dating anybody. And that’s going to suck/be annoying. But you need to remember: you’d get questioned no matter what was going on in your life. Happily dating somebody? When are you getting engaged? Oh, you’re Engaged? When are you getting married? When are you buying a house? And now you’re Married? When are you having kids? People are gonna pepper you no matter what, whether you’re single or not, and it’s gonna be annoying AF. It’s just a fact of life. So you might as well embrace it.
Spend the holidays in your favorite pajamas, surrounded by your family. Get yourself a gift, check yourself into the spa, and enjoy yourself over the holidays so you can start the new year off with a bang.
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