First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Do not celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th – instead mark the birthdate of Isaac Newton who, if google imagines are to be believed looked quite cool. Plan to eat lovely light things that might defy gravity if they could … meringues, whipped cream, sliver thin slices of smoked salmon etc. and sit watching gravity defying films … anything with an aeroplane while drinking gravity defying fizz / champagne where the bubbles go up and not down …

I just found your blog and I am super excited about this giveaway. Although I have to admit I’m not quite as excited about the giveaway as I am to catch up on all your previous posts.

The best way to survive the holidays as a singleton is to simply do exactly what YOU want to do. Don’t want to go to your supervisor’s holiday party? Don’t go. Want to stay in your jammies and watch Christmas movies all day on a Monday? Do it. Want to take a cruise instead of heading to Aunt Sylvia’s for Hanukkah? Do it.

I understand that while this advice is simple and obvious, it isn’t always easy to do. Do it anyway! I am.

Angela K. Marvin
angelakmarvin@yahoo.com

Although I have no comparable tips… my tip to all my friends is follow this site! Thank you for being here every day with quality, humor, dignity and now goodies!!!

Thanks for your blog Wendy, I do enjoy it. To survive the holidays I like to have a getaway place when I just need a break from the family, etc. I live about an hour away from my them so whenever things are starting to get to me while I’m at their place I head back to my other home and hang out with my single friends, go to a few ugly christmas sweater parties, etc. and then I start to feel normal again. Of course your getaway place may not be so convenient, but find somewhere you can getaway to even for a few hours to regain your sanity! And of course there’s always chocolate.
Amber Swanson
ambswa@hotmail.com

I feel very happy spending time with myself, especially on New Year’s Eve. I cook something special for dinner, which usually means with meat (I mostly eat vegetarian), have a lovely glass of wine, and plunk myself down in front of the tv, dinner on my lap, cats too interested in my food, to watch a marvelous movie, a very long one, preferably a classic. Heaven!

this also works for xmas, saturday nights, birthdays, etc.

How about a Manhattan?! I find that alcohol, used in moderation, REALLY helps.

Move to a far-away country and claim expensive air travel as a reason not to return home for the holidays. Then proceed to spend Christmas with friends soaking up the culture and enjoying many cups of Christmas cheer.

I’m going to try roasting a turkey breast (instead of a whole turkey). Will make some sage stuffing, put it into a cheesecloth bag, sit it under the turkey (but on top of the roasting rack), and baste it (and potatoes and vegs) like crazy! Make my own gravy from the drippings. Also will open a good bottle of chardonnay and settle down to watch a couple of good movies. Can’t wait– I’ll be busy!

I am going to stay home this year. No plans. No crowds, no stress. Peace, quiet, vegetate as needed. Maybe the new Harry Potter movie. A “24″ marathon? The toughest decision will be food. Strata, quiche or cinnamon rolls? Stuffed pork loin, roasted veges, pumpkin pie martinis or tamales, beans, rice & Negro Modelo or margaritas? hmmm. I’m making myself hungry.

Have a great holiday whatever you decide.

I think a little gratitude for my current place in life goes a long way. When I start feeling even the slightest bit blue about being single at the holidays, I remind myself of the awkward gatherings, unfortunate gifts, and inedible food that I’m missing out on by not having to spend the holidays with a significant other’s family. Whatever it is that makes you grateful for where you are and all that you have (and bonus points if it makes you laugh too), hang onto it, revel in it, and enjoy being your sassy single self!

Jen Gardner
law4jlg@gmail.com

I simply stay busy with work leading up to the holidays and when they roll around, I spend time with the people closest to me, my family of friends.

Celebrate with family, or whoever you make your family. This year I happen to be living in Indonesia, but I am spending the holidays with two other friends I met here and we are traveling to Australia together. Since I can’t be with my real family I am making my own family where I am.

Exercise. Buy a new out fit.
Plan to meet a friend or friends each weekend in December for a drink or a game night, or a lunch.
Be festive.
Do the same in January!!

I think it’s a perfect time to catch up on museum shows, as Los Angeles tends to be rather quiet toward the end of December. I also agree with William, a Manhattan (or Martini) always works.

[...] forget to enter our first CONTEST. Deadline for comments is December 18, [...]

Read some of Sylvia Plath’s poetry. Oh, right I forgot, that’s suicidal stuff.

Find some single friends to go out with and kvetch. Misery loves company. And good food too.

For me surviving the holidays is a multi faceted approach. First, stimulate your brain, more than usual. This includes museum and/or gallery outings, theatre, live music, having several excellent books on hand (these are my true solace), movies both at the theatre and rented, and spending time with people you don’t see regularly. Secondly, I find some type of cooking project I don’t partake in ordinarily during the rest of the year. This usually involves some sort of canning which is great for stocking the pantry and for gifting. I particularly enjoy listening to great music or watching a good sporting event on TV while doing this. Eugenia Bone has several helpful books on preserving if you need help or inspiration. Thirdly, if you have more spare time exercise more. It’s true this really helps everything. Better yet, try some form of exercise you haven’t done before. Finally, seek out good company, both with others and yourself. Also, I concur with William and Matty, a cocktail, especially carefully crafted, enhances all the above mentioned. I do most of the above year round but in a less focused condensed manner. The holidays demand extraordinary measures.
Happy Holidays Everyone!

The best way to get through the holidays as a single person is to remember that you only have to do it all once. After your grandma bugs you that you aren’t dating a rich doctor and your mom makes you do the dishes because your sister and her husband are playing with the new attention-grabbing baby, the single person gets to go home, pour themselves a drink or five, and watch a movie of their own choosing.

All the couples out there have to suffer the holidays twice with each partner’s side of the family. It really is good to be single around the holidays.

My Christmas eve tradition, through several boyfriends and a 25-year marriage, now ended, is cheese fondue and champagne. Luckily, I’ll be having it at Mom’s this year, but last year, with no family in sight, I invited a table-full of wonderful women friends to share it with me a couple of days before Christmas.
So my advice is, think what really says “holiday” to you, and don’t give it up: find a new way to do it.

[...] fun. Over the weekend, I will carefully read through everyone’s comments from our first annual, Surviving the Holidays Contest (polls close shortly) and settle in to some expert [...]

[...] to all who entered our first CONTEST, Surviving the Holidays When You’re Single. Winner(s) will be announced on Christmas [...]

[...] grateful to all who shared their wisdom for FIRST PERSON SINGULAR’s contest, Surviving the Holidays When You’re Single. Thank you for being a part of my family, and making it feel large and [...]