Survey Says: This is How Not to Get Dumped This Holiday Season

Let’s be honest; the holiday season can be a trying time for couples.

The two sets (or more) of families, the multiple commitments with both sets of friends, and the inevitable expectations can put a lot of pressure on couples.

Basically, some couples need all the help they can get during the holidays if they want to last until 2016 together.

EliteSingles recently conducted a light-hearted study of 350 Canadians on what to expect from a partner during the holiday season.

Among the findings is something I’ve advocated since my first job: don’t bring your Significant Other (SO) to your work holiday party. More than half of men and two-thirds of women said they don’t want their partner cramping their style at the work shindig. The whole point is to celebrate the season and bond with your coworkers; you can sip cocktails with your SO anytime.

Here are the other results of the study:

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Surprise Your Man with Sexy Lingerie 
Somewhat sadly, the survey reveals that guys are easily pleased with a gift of sexy lingerie. As it turns out, Canadian men want just one thing – and it is what you’re thinking. A whopping 69 per cent of men (yes, really) want a partner who will surprise them with sexy underwear. It could also be a “Canadian thing”: the same study was run in the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand – and, while the men there were generally, um, up for the idea, Canadian men topped them all when it came to having a passion for panties (and yes, writing that word did just make me cringe). On the other hand, Canadian women weren’t on board as much: just 32 per cent wanted to be surprised by their partner in sexy gotchies.

Stay Away From Their Work Christmas Party
The study revealed that there’s no place for a SO at the office holiday party. The survey found that more than half of Canadian men (59 per cent) and nearly two-thirds of women (62 per cent) want to be left to party in peace. The ideal partner, then, is one who stays away from their lover’s work functions without the accompanying argument (but who also, perhaps, makes sure that they have water waiting for them the morning after).

Invite Them to the Family Get-Together
Whether to invite your SO to your family functions is an age-old holiday dilemma. According to the survey, you should always at least invite your SO to family functions (even if you know they have other plans), but only if you’ve been dating for three months or longer. When it comes to meeting friends and family, Canadians are fairly easy going up until that three-month marker. In fact, only eight per cent of women and 13 per cent of men wish to meet their partner’s nearest and dearest in the first 12 weeks (you don’t want them to fall in love with you if it’s not going to work out, after all). However, should your relationship last longer, you may want to set an extra place at the Christmas table: 78 per cent of women and 70 percent of men want to be introduced to a partner’s family before the first year of dating is up.

Meet Them at the Airport
As we all know, holiday air travel is its own special hell, especially when you have to find a parking spot. But, if you really want to get on your partner’s nice list, you should pick them up at the airport, train station, bus station, or just anywhere they need to be picked up. Just 10 per cent of Canadians are happy to make their own way to or from the airport (those cabs and Uber fares get costly), while 60 per cent would expect nothing less than being met in the arrivals hall.

Image: yvr.ca

Don’t Laugh at Their Tofu Turkey
Don’t start a holiday fight over dietary restrictions (wait until the New Year for that). If your beloved wants tofu instead of turkey, or insists on gluten-free stuffing and non-dairy brandy butter, as super annoying as it is, it’s best to hide your smirks – or you may find yourself cooking for one this Christmas. More than half of Canadians (54 per cent of women and 58 per cent of men) demand that a partner respect – or even share – their eating habits.

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