“For Christ’s sake’s…it’s only a diary. Everyone knows that diaries are just full of crap”
“I know that, I’m just buying you a new one. Time to make a new start perhaps…”
And then Mark Darcy kisses Bridget Jones. The music starts playing, the snow is falling and the single girl’s tears start rolling. Everyone knows the end of this Christmas film (and if you don’t then you should perhaps reassess your life), and it is films like this that make us expect Mr Perfect to miraculously appear when Christmas arrives.
Yes, it’s getting colder, and yes it would be nice to snuggle in front of the fire with some dreamy guy, preferably whilst singing a duet of Baby It’s Cold Outside (or is that just me?!) But at the same time, there is literally nothing better than being single at Christmas. And here are some reasons why…
1. Saving money on a present for a boyfriend. The beauty of not having a relationship with a guy is that you end up having an even better relationship with yourself. Instead of forking out £50 on some One Million aftershave for him, you have spare cash to buy a lush Topshop coat. Who said you needed a guy to keep you warm?!
2. The Bridget Jones Dance. As a Singleton, you and you alone have the right to do the Bridget Jones ‘All By Myself’ dance. Whilst the untrained observer may call this ‘sad’ and ‘loserish’ remember that the dance includes Vodka. So who’s winning really…?
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3. Drunken silliness with the girls. Whether you want to renounce boys for the holiday season or ‘collect them all’ at the club like Pokémon cards, Christmas is not about relationships. Or, if it is, it’s about having a relationship with your friends and your Sambuca. Plus, if you have a boyfriend then who’s going to get with the hot barman??
4. Pointing out the flaws in Christmas Rom-Coms. This one is for the cynics who like to throw holly at happy couples and yell ‘bah humbug’ when they see a boy carrying an Ann Summers bag. Just grab a copy of The Holiday and analyse its flaws – like, at the end of the film we all know that Cameron Diaz is going back to LA and Jude Law is staying in England and it just won’t work out. If we can’t have Christmas relationships, then neither can they (Bitter? Us?)
5. Christmas is about spending time with the family. Being single means you have more time to chat to your granddad about the music he listened to ‘back in the day’ and less time to obsess over your boyfriend’s Whatsapp, drinking your sorrows away with mulled wine because he has ‘last seen’ your message 20 minutes ago and hasn’t replied.
To conclude, the Mark Darcys of the world are overrated – all you need is your friends, your family and a stack of mince pies in order to have yourself a merry little Christmas.
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