A therapist has issued a warning about ‘snowglobing’ a new dating trend that is not as adorable as it sounds.
Christmas is just a couple of weeks away - and this year, that means a new bunch of seasonal dating trends to watch out for.
There's Scrooging - where someone dumps their partner right before 25 December to get out of buying them a gift. Ouch.
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Then there's snowstorming - which is similar to cobwebbing - and sees people take stock as the year ends and rid themselves of toxic partners and unhappy relationships.
But now there's a new dating trend on the block - snowglobing.
So, what is it? Well, it’s a little like cuffing - when folks find themselves a part-time partner to cover the winter - so they’ve got someone to go to Winter Wonderland with or to drag along to their tedious work’s do.
However, unlike cuffing, where people usually know what they’re getting themselves into, snowglobers will try and con you into believing you’re more serious than you are and that you definitely have a future together once the tinsel and baubles are packed away.
Timing also differentiates the two - with cuffing usually kicking off in October or November and running through the entitreity of winter, whereas snow-globing is strictly for Christmas.
Cosmopolitan explains: “This person spends the entire month of December with you, making you feel like you’re inside your own little wintery fairy tale, only to unceremoniously dump your ass in January.
"Yeah, that precious world of lovey feels you’ve been living in = SHATTERED.”
Sounds painful, right? So why do people do it?
Well, couples therapist Gary Brown, reckons people do it for a couple of reasons.
He told Cosmopolitan: “One may be that they simply don’t want to be alone or they don’t want to be seen as being single during the holidays.”
Alongside that, Brown believes: “Feeling embarrassed about not being in a relationship can be so painful, that people will make romantic gestures as a sort of ‘short fix’ so that they don’t have to feel the pain of loneliness.”
If you don’t want to fall victim to snowglobing, Brown says it's a good idea to try and gauge if your new significant other seems genuinely enthusiastic about spending time together and that if you get the feeling that they’re simply ‘going through the motions’ then ditch them.
He also says that your new partner telling their nearest and dearest about you is usually a good indication they don’t plan on loving and leaving.
“If you notice beforehand that they are talking about you with their friends, family, and coworkers, then that may be a sign that they’re truly interested,” he added.
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Christmas
Claire Reid