Avoid a pre-Christmas break up

Surviving ChristmasOur guide to keepingthat relationship

The turkey has been ordered, the decorations are up and the mistletoe hanging by the door is already looking a bit limp, not to mention unused.

Maybe it’s the stress of Christmas shopping, the financial worries surrounding it or maybe it’s the fact that many of us reflect on our lives towards the end of the year.

Out with the old in with new the saying goes, and so perhaps these are reasons why the two week lead up to Christmas is the peak time, and worst time, for break ups.

Data researchers David McCandless and Lee Byron searched for phrases such as "break up" and "ended it" in Facebook statuses and came up with a graph which showed that the run up to Christmas isn’t just the festive season but it is also the dumping season. 

However, Christmas day had the least number of ruined relationships in the whole year because that would just be a bit too mean.

The dilemma for many people considering leaving their partner around this time is whether to do it before; save money and having to sit through their mothers Christmas dinner, or after; spend some guilt money and see if it can work. After all, this is the most loving time of year. Either way, they’re not going to be the peoples favourite by New Year.

2010 saw a number of celebrity couples break up in the two weeks before St. Nick’s arrival, including Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds and Disney duo Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. So let’s hope there’s no celeb or closer to home break ups this year.

If you plan on keeping your partner over Christmas, avoid any unnecessary arguments and tension by deciding on a budget you will spend on each other and don’t be too expectant to avoid disappointment and guilt.

Decide well in advance with whose family you will spend Christmas with, and spend New Year with the other one. And with a little time away from work remember to relax and spend some quality time with each other. Don’t forget that mistletoe too!