The Holiday

By Bria Holness

So, now that we’ve wrapped up those nine hectic days of Halloween: As we take a walk around our neighborhoods, people prepare for the holiday season. Lights go up, Thanksgiving invites are sent, everyone is connecting with family, etc. And for all you single people, this particular time can be depressing. Yes, we know—all the couples are preparing to meet families and they’re going out on their holiday dates, being all cute. Womp, womp. You will make it through—trust me. Here are some things to keep you from feeling so depressed that you're that family member who has to unbutton their pants mid-Thanksgiving dinner.

The holidays won't be stressful unless you let them be. Take those precious days off to relax and catch up on the sleep you’ve been lacking so that you can come back to school finally looking refreshed, instead of like a zombie. Chill in your bed in fluffy pajamas all day with some hot cocoa or warm apple cider. Netflix all the shows you’ve been missing out on before your friends start to come home. We all know school has been taking over our lives for the past two months, so now it’s time to catch up on Walking Dead and Breaking Bad.

Secondly, take this time off to enjoy spending time with your family, especially without the pressure of having them judge your significant other. Thanksgiving is the prime time for people to introduce their significant others to their families, but since you don’t have to deal with that, enjoy it. This can actually be more stressful than people think because most of the time, they are either stressed about what their family is going to think about their significant other, or they’re preoccupied with everything their significant other is doing; making sure he or she is doing nothing wrong—as opposed to just enjoying the holiday festivities. Who needs all that trouble when you’re trying to get your grub on at Thanksgiving dinner? Not you.

Indulge in play time with all your little nieces, nephews, and cousins. You’ll be so busy giving piggyback rides and playing house that your family will forget to ask you about your love life.

And if they do…

Have talking points ready. You know sometimes these conversations are inevitable and your entire family is going to want to know how your life is going. Instead of answering with vague things like “Everything is good,” have specific things to say. Talk about something good that’s going on in your life like new friendships, joining an organization or declaring your major. This way, they won’t keep probing you about things you don’t want to talk about.

Speaking of your love life….

So you’re obviously back in your hometown for the break. And it’s been a couple of days. You’re already bored so you start figuring maybe it’s time to rekindle or spark up some relationships. Stop right there. Heed my warning before you do so—here are three people I advise you not to hook up with while you’re finding peace at home. You will regret it.

Your best friend:

It's your best friend, so who cares? You guys understand and love each other so you can hook up and then go back to normal, right? No. This will inevitably result in disaster because you guys will never be the same after this. It can go either way: either you guys could end up in a relationship, which is a situation that will always be on thin ice because of the possibility of the falling-out of not only the relationship, but the friendship as well. And—welp—there goes your best friend. Or, someone could catch feelings and the other might not feel the same, and we all know how that goes. So, in the end, if you want to see your best friend next time you’re home without all that awkwardness, please just keep your pants on.

That person from home that you just somehow never knew:

This may seem safe since he or she went to that other, other high school. You know, the one you think no one really associated with? Well, we all know this world is ridiculously small and somehow, some way, with time, you’ll go on Facebook or Twitter and see they’ve been involved with someone you know, or they’re getting involved with one of your good friends who’s still at home. Or, you may even come back home and he or she has fallen in love with you and wants to be in a relationship. Who wants to deal with all of that?

Your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend:

This is a big no-no and probably the worst situation that you can get into. All this will do is harbor all the emotions, all the good times, and all the resentment. Trust me, you’re going to feel awful and ashamed of yourself afterwards and all you’ll be able to do is ask yourself why you let it happen. Unless you’re trying to build that bridge you two once burned and you’re planning to get back together— please stay away from this horrid hookup. It will not end well.

Reflecting on the past year and looking ahead to new ventures will definitely make you feel better about yourself and help from dwelling on the fact that you’re single during the holidays. At the end of the day, being single isn’t that bad. In fact, it isn’t bad until you hit the bottom of your third Ben & Jerry's. Hey, don't blame us.