Spare a thought for ‘the single one’ this Christmas

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It doesn’t matter how fulfilled and content you are – at this time of year, you’re always made to feel like the odd one out – a project for loved ones to take on, much like the 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle strewn across the coffee table. Beyond the customary questions about your love life – like when you’re going to hurry up and find a husband and have kids and get on the property ladder and get a “real job”, you are exposed to all sorts of asks during the festive period that your coupled-up counterparts would never be. First comes the cross-country schlep – because it is an unwritten rule that single people aren’t allowed to host Christmas; for it is a time for traditional values and not our wanton ways! Merry Christmas to you, too… Despite your monumental efforts to make it home on time for the big day, when you head inside the living room you discover that everyone has already eaten the homemade meal lovingly prepared by your mum – so you’re left with “picky bits”.