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Couples Stay in Doomed Relationships Over Holidays

(onlinedatingmagazine.com - November 21, 2003) With the winter holidays approaching, Match.com is reporting that most singles facing doomed romantic relationships during past winter holiday seasons stayed in the relationship to avoid the challenges and disappointment of a holiday breakup.

In the November 2003 research in which more than 1,000 single adults living in the U.S. were surveyed, 51% of singles who said they had faced a doomed relationship as the holidays approached indicated they stayed in the relationship to avoid hurting the person they were dating during the holidays. Thirteen percent stayed because they didn't want to face the winter holidays alone, and 3% stayed because they wanted to receive holiday gifts from the person they were dating.

Only 33% indicated they ended the relationship before the holiday season started. Women, often thought to be more sentimental about relationships than men, were less likely to have stayed in the relationship during the holiday season and more likely to have ended the relationship than were men.

"It's generally unrealistic to expect a good outcome from staying in a bad relationship, even during the holidays," said Trish McDermott, Vice President of Romance and resident dating expert at Match.com. "It's understandable, and commendable that most singles care enough about the person they are dating to go through the holiday season with them, hoping to make a little merry and delay an ultimate breakup, but they may send the wrong message, one of abiding love and commitment, to their family, friends and the person they're dating if they bring their doomed date home for the holidays this year."

Eighty-seven percent of singles in the Match.com survey indicated they were optimistic they would enjoy the upcoming winter holidays, up from the 64% of singles who reported this last year. Women were more like than men to indicate they felt optimistic. Of the singles who celebrate these holidays, 63% indicated they will head home for Thanksgiving, and 71% said they plan to spend Christmas with their families.

Thirty-one percent of singles admitted they do feel pressure about being single during the holidays, but singles were most likely to say they put themselves under the most pressure. Singles indicated that women in their lives, including mothers, best friends, grandmothers, aunts and sisters, were more likely than men in their lives to pressure them about their solo status.

The Holiday Office Party
Twenty-seven percent of singles who will be attending office holiday parties where dates are welcome intend to bring dates. Thirty-two percent believe their office parties should include mistletoe, although only 3% indicate they have plans to romantically kiss a co-worker at the party this year. Three percent also indicate they expect they will have morning-after regrets regarding their behavior at the office holiday party.

What Singles Want For Christmas This Year
When asked how much they expected the person they are dating to spend on them for Christmas this year, 51% of singles said that it's not about money and the amount doesn't matter, down from the 63% of singles who reported this last year. Ten percent of men and 15% of women expect their dates to spend $100 or more on gifts for them this year. Three percent of singles said they would break up with someone who gave them a cheap or thoughtless Christmas or Chanukah present, 18% were unsure and 78% said they would not break up.

Twenty percent of single women indicated they prefer to date metrosexual men, defined as straight men who are into designer clothes, art, fashion, home decor and shopping. Thirty-six percent of single women were unsure about their desire for metrosexual men and 44% indicated that metrosexual men aren't their type. When asked if they would define themselves as a metrosexual man, 20% of the single men surveyed said yes, 66% said no and 13% were unsure.

Related Links:
» Singles Say Holidays Easiest Time to Find Date

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