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Christmas Time People Relationships Romantic Hanukkah Holidays Considered

Id ESLPod_0112_CN
Episode Id ESLPod 112
Episode Title Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa
Title The Holidays and Being Single
Text

The "holidays" (the December celebrations of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and New Year's Day) are considered a happy time of the year, but not for everyone. According to a 2010 study of what people write on their Facebook pages, the holidays are more likely to be a time for ending relationships rather than starting happy, new ones.

After looking at more than 3,000 Facebook pages over the period of one year, two "journalists" (news reporters) from the Wall Street Journal concluded that the most common times for "breaking up" (ending a romantic relationship) with your boyfriend or girlfriend are (1) the two weeks before Christmas, and (2) during early March, a time when many schools have a one-week vacation period called Spring Break.

Why do so many people end their relationships during the two weeks before Christmas? One reason may be that they don't want to buy their "ex-loved one" (former boy/girlfriend) a "present" (gift). Of course, if someone breaks up with you because they don't want to buy you a Christmas present, it was probably not a relationship that was going to last very long anyway. It may also be that people want to clear their "consciences"; that is, they may feel as though they're not really "committed to" (serious about) the relationship and that continuing it would not be honest. Fortunately, the least likely day for a romantic breakup is on Christmas Day itself. That, I suppose, would be considered too "cruel" (unkind; mean).

The reasons for breaking up before Spring Break seem a little easier to guess. High school and college students typically go on "group vacations" to a beach or another popular vacation spot during this time, providing them with an excellent opportunity to meet a new romantic partner.

Topics Entertainment + Sports | Relationships + Family

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