Happy International Break Up Day (12/11)

NZ Herald, 11/29/20: Ashley Wells, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; flirtini.com

Ah, I'm not worried; there are plenty of fish in the sea! - But my bait isn't what it used to be.

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Why December 11 is the day you're most likely to be dumped

Get out of here, man

It's that time of year again. The date most likely to spell doom for relationships is fast approaching. And unfortunately for the hopeless romantics among us, that day is yet to come. (Oh no, it's here!)

According to statistics, the most popular day to break up is December 11th, reports news.com.au. And the second most popular time of year to break up is in March, right after Valentine's Day, the original data reveals.

• Romantic sexual relationship: Nothing Higher to Live For: A Buddhist View of Romantic Love (accesstoinsight.org)

Ah, I feel down. They're not getting any bigger

The data, first collected by Information Is Beautiful in 2008, was compiled by statisticians who studied relationship status updates on social media and found that the most common breakup date falls two weeks before Christmas.

December is already filled with high pressure events, from the end of year work Christmas party to boozy catch-ups with friends we haven't seen since lockdown, and of course the mandatory family gatherings.

Why did it have to happen now of all days?

But couples are also faced with the dilemma of splitting their time between each other's families. Then there's the pressure of buying each other presents that aren't just another pair of socks, organizing holidays, traveling without driving each other crazy, and spending time with the kids during school holidays.

So some of us decide to hedge our bets and opt out of the relationship before the silly season hits.

This can't be happening. - But it is happening. - Wait! Let me tell you WHY it can't be.

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Speaking to the Daily Mail, a dating expert revealed that the most important reason relationships end before Christmas is that people don't want to spend money on people they're not romantically interested in.

Dating coach James Preece said nobody wants to end things too close to Christmas. "And New Year is coming, which brings them the chance for a fresh start."

He believes Dec. 11 was the key day for couples to call it quits because they don't want to waste money on people they can't see a future with.

"Firstly, if someone is planning on a break up then they will want to get it over with before Christmas," he said. "There's no point buying presents and spending time with someone you aren't interested in.

"Secondly, it's party season and [our partners] can be quickly forgotten if you go out without them.

"Cheating and inappropriate flirting are the biggest causes of break ups.

"Finance can cause huge problems too, especially if one is spending lots and the other is trying to save." More