Celebrating and Single? Holiday fun awaits!

The week before Christmas images of jolly old elves, reindeer with glowing noses, and talking snowmen permeate the landscape everywhere.

This time of year is also marked by the tradition of telling stories of goodwill and acceptance. Over and over, we hear tales of miserly bosses who wake with renewed kindness after a night of terrors and elves who once felt they didn’t belong, later finding an island of their peers.

The most prevalent of these images, though, is probably the familiar “Christmas morning” scene where the delight of children opening presents is lovingly observed by parents contentedly looking on in their fuzzy robes and slippers.

But what if your Christmas doesn’t look like that? According to Pew Research, three in 10 adults in the United States reported they were single in 2020, with single defined as “not married, living with a partner or in a committed romantic relationship” (Brown, 2022). Of that 31%, nearly half weren’t actively looking for a mate.

Even though Christmas doesn’t look the same for everyone, it doesn’t mean it can’t contain the same meaningful traditions.

The holiday season can provide the opportunity to plan get-togethers with friends, such as brunches or parties with games where everyone can get their holiday spirit on. If you’re more comfortable solo, consider taking a trip to a tropical location or maybe part of the United States if you have budgetary concerns — off-season rates can increase your holiday spirit!

Yet another option is giving yourself the gift of self-care and maybe an indulgent gift, too – you work hard all year and deserve a little recognition! Indeed, studies show that giving yourself a present can increase your mood, and not surprisingly – individuals who do gift themselves tend to be happier (d’Astous and Mouakhar-Klouz, 2022).