Being single at Christmas is never a barrel of festive laughs - no one to kiss under the mistletoe, no one who is legally obliged to take you to a Santa’s grotto and no one to take home to meet your grandma.
And in true Bridget-Jones-style your relatives are never shy about making you feel even more terrible about your impending spinsterhood.
So before you face the judgements of your family, equip yourself with this selection of perfect responses, as suggested by Reddit users.
1. The forward answer.
“Why? Are you interested?” (Wink)
-opkc
2. The don’t-ask-the-obvious answer.
“I don’t know, probably my personality.”
“What do you mean?”
“WELL IT’S NOT MY F**KING LOOKS, IS IT.”
3. The tell-it-how-it-is answer.
“Why don’t I have a boyfriend? Because I have a girlfriend.”
4. The Tinder answer.
“Cuz I can’t be tied down by one pussy when I’m trying to get em all, nana.”
5. The personal answer.
“Why don’t I have a girlfriend? Why did your husband leave you Aunt Marie?”
6. The sympathy answer.
“If I knew the answer to that question you wouldn’t be asking it.”
7. The sassy answer.
“When it becomes your business, I’ll keep you in the loop.”
8. The too-close-to-home answer.
“When you’re lonely and single, you have options; when you’re lonely and married, you’re f**ked.”
9. The awkward answer.
Awkwardly looks over at girlfriend. “Kinda tied up at the moment grandma.”
10. The supreme answer.
“You can’t hurry love,
You just have to wait,
Love don’t come easy,
It’s a game of give and take.”