If you're unhappy in your relationship heading into this festive period, you'd better get a shift on.
According to a survey, this Friday is the last time that it is acceptable to break up with your significant other before Christmas Day.
OK, so before we begin, if you're not happy in a relationship, just end it whenever you want - there's no point in being unhappy - but just for fun, let's have a look at the evidence behind it.
To begin with, December is the time of the year that sees the most relationships end. That's not such a surprise when you consider that it is not only a time for meeting up with extended family and friends, but also for consuming more alcohol and getting stressed out.
Whether it's your boyfriend's mum being rude or just a booze-fuelled argument, it stands to reason that this time of year is going to cause a significant amount of falling out.
Anyway, to prove this point, a survey commissioned by Hilarys.co.uk asked 2,643 people - some in relationships, some single - about their current and previous relationships, as well as their views on how, when and why people break up.
They discovered that 27 percent of them broke up with their ex-partners during December. That's a remarkable number when you think about it.
Of those who broke up in December, 57 percent - perhaps unsurprisingly - said that the spark had gone. Forty-four percent said they had concerns their partner was cheating, and 26 percent said they had issues with their partner's living habits.
Other issues at play included money (18 percent) and simply Christmas stress (nine percent).
Four percent said they wanted to be single at Christmas, and one percent - you stingy souls - said they just wanted to avoid having to buy another present.
So, onto the dumping deadline.
The majority of those polled said that 6 December - that's this Friday - was the cut-off point for cutting someone off.
After that, they thought it was too harsh. Thirty-two percent of those who agreed said they'd wait until January to dump their SO after that date passed.
Lucy Askew, a spokesperson for Hillarys.co.uk said: "You would think that December would be the most popular time of year for couples to get together, but this research reveals quite the opposite.
"You've only got a few days left if you want to make that dreaded decision, but it is best to do it now to at least give them time to feel better before Christmas comes.
"You wouldn't want to be responsible for ruining the most wonderful time of the year for someone by splitting up right beforehand!"
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Merry Christmas, you filthy animals.
Featured Image Credit: UniversalTopics: Christmas, Dating, Weird