How do I survive Christmas without a partner?

The standards of celebrating Christmas in Western society mostly involve couples and loving families. It focuses on the warmth of being together with your partner and your family. Togetherness and love (and an abundance of food) are the main ingredients for this special day. For most people, it’s one of the best moments of the year, but there are also plenty of others who dread it and can’t wait for it to be over. Many singles and people who are not close with their family feel uncomfortable or even lonely during the holiday season. Time for change! 

The psychological weight of Christmas

We plan ahead, look forward to it, and save up for it: Christmas. Every year, countless families gather around the Christmas tree and enjoy great food together for a whole day. The more, the merrier. It’s a feast that brings people together. In its essence, Christmas is a very valuable day in an increasingly individualist society. But what if you have no family or partner to celebrate it with?

“Christmas is a time of togetherness, but what if you don’t have anyone to be with?”

You don’t necessarily have to be less happy if you’re not surrounded by a lot of people, even though society often claims the opposite. When you’re a child, you hear and see that Christmas is fun and should be enjoyable. There are lots of Christmas lights, decorations, family, and friends, as well as a loving partner of course (and a dog if at all possible). It’s such a romanticized picture that people who don’t live up to these standards feel like they’re weird or different. The danger of this is that it can lead to an overwhelming feeling of emptiness; especially at those moments where you’re surrounded by many other people. Christmas can then feel like a heavy weight on your shoulders. Fortunately, there are countless ways of making you feel anything but lonely this Christmas.

Also read: Our Christmas message to you 🎄

Why being single is fine

There’s nothing wrong with being single in itself, even though our parents and grandparents think otherwise. As a single person, you probably get asked a lot of questions like ‘have you found someone yet?’ These questions aren’t that surprising considering women didn’t have as many opportunities and didn’t make as much money a couple of decades ago. Nowadays however, everyone can take of themselves. In fact, being single even has its advantages.

Singles….

• feel more free
• have a lower BMI
• are more positive and focus on self-development more
• have a larger social network
• have a better sex life
• are less materialistic

Also read: Meet our singles Suzanne (25) and Denise (29)

Christmas without a partner: time for self-love

Every single who reads this article has a different reason for spending Christmas without a partner: perhaps you’ve lost your partner, you’ve always been single, or you partner has to work at Christmas. Whatever the case, celebrating the holidays in a traditional way without a partner by your side is difficult. But there’s no reason for gloom: you can definitely spend Christmas on your own in a fun way. Convince your family that there’s nothing wrong with being single or ignore the fuss altogether and choose your own path.

“Every single who reads this article has a different reason for spending Christmas without a partner.”

Instead of loving others at Christmas, you can also do the opposite: self-love. Giving yourself a feeling of dignity, appreciation, and love is just as important. Transform your bedroom into your favourite room in the house, play your favourite music, put on seductive lingerie, and explore your body like never before.

Create your own Christmas traditions

Celebrating Christmas in the traditional way without a partner is difficult for many people. Trying not to let societal pressure affect you can offer some relief, but there’s also a plan B: creating your own Christmas traditions! Because why would you want a traditional Christmas if it doesn’t make you feel good? There a many options for possible activities during the holidays. Perhaps not on Christmas Day itself, but the days before and after. Here are a couple of tips:

• Organise a Christmas dinner for your best friends
• Send cards or organise something for lonely elderly people
• Cook for people who are struggling financially
• Aks your family to do Christmas differently this year (play games, cook different food, etc.)
• Take a moment for yourself and find inner peace through meditation
• Spend some time doing something that you love, but never have time for (playing the piano, painting, etc.)
• Spend a day on self-love and explore your body with sex toys

Don’t hesitate to plan your own activities for Christmas a couple of weeks ahead. This way, you won’t have time to think about not having a partner by your side. Who knows, maybe you like your way of celebrating Christmas so much that you want to do it every year!