Dating over the festive period – your odds just increased

Not many people enjoy spending nights in alone, especially during holiday periods like Christmas and the New Year. Having a companion, a partner, makes things much more satisfying because sharing experiences makes them that much more memorable.

So what should you do if you're single over Christmas?

Firstly, don't panic! There are hundreds of millions of single people in the same boat. The worst thing you can do is rush to get yourself a partner for the sake of it. A lot of people would rather have a date for some of the festive period than none at all and would settle for dating someone who isn't really their cup of tea. To avoid feeling lonely, spend as much of your time with your friends and family instead.

If you've got time off work, spend some of it formulating a great dating profile and getting your profile pictures up to scratch. It's so important to have a good profile on any dating site and a lot of online daters tend to rush these things thinking they're not important enough. But don't overdo it. Quality is better than quantity. Remember, the best place to start dating is online so sell yourself as best as you can.

Enjoy being single over Christmas

Put aside all those rom-coms and Christmas images of couples in love. Yes, there are some very happy loving couples out there but Christmas for those isn't without it's fair share of headaches. Take off those rose tinted spectacles and appreciate that being single has some very good points too. No fighting over the TV, no squabbling over what to eat or where to go and no having to answer to anyone – to name just a few. Hold your head up high over Christmas and tell yourself that you can go anywhere and do anything. The same applies online. Dating sites tend to see a big increase in sign-ups over Christmas, and other holiday periods so it's a great time to start your search. But having more to look at can make it too easy to find someone too quickly - someone that isn't suited to you. There's nothing worse than having to spend the New Year thinking about how to split up with your new partner because you realize you have little in common.

Opportunities to meet people

With parties and events happening all over the place, there are plenty of opportunities to meet people over Christmas and the New Year. I would never advise anyone to date someone they work with though. There are many reasons for this and it is usually frowned upon in many organizations. Best to steer clear of office romances, even the shortest types.

Get your other single friends together and organize festive nights out. There are plenty of places to go in most towns and cities around the world. Also, sort out something for New Years eve which is always a great opportunity to network. Just be careful not to rush into anything with someone if you're looking for a relationship that's longer term. A lot of romances that develop during New Years Eve celebrations tend to be very short lived as people are excited and the drinks are free flowing. You could even meet someone Christmas shopping. Most shops will be filled with very stressed out parents and partners, so the people that are happy and smiling are likely to be single like you! And online, keep your dating profile status up to date. Perhaps add something festive to your status to tell a potential partner that you've been online very recently and thus more likely to want to meet up with them.

Dating over Christmas

Not wanting to contradict what I said earlier, but if you do meet someone online, Christmas is a great time to go dating. Just make sure you spend a bit of time ensuring your date is 'right' for you. There are endless possibilities for dating venues over Christmas and the long, cold evenings (assuming you're in the northern hemisphere), make getting cosy with a potential date all that much more fun. If you're looking for something quirky to do on a date, check out some of our date ideas. Not all of these apply during the colder months though!

What not to do during a festive date

To ensure any date you go on goes smoothly and successfully, don't:-

• Overdo the drinking (unless you're both very comfortable with each other).
• Buy a new date a gift for when you meet them (this can make some people feel uncomfortable).
• Expect your date to be available when you want them to be as Christmas and other holiday seasons can be a busy time for many. Give them a little space. They may not be available Christmas day or New Years eve as they may have already made plans with friends and family.

So remember, the best place to start dating is online. If you're looking to meet someone over the festive period, Flirthut has plenty of members like you ready to date!