There are many cool and not-so-cool things about being single. One of the not-so-cool things single people complain about the most is loneliness and the loneliest time of the year has to be Christmas. Christmas is marketed as a time to be surrounded by family and friends and that’s exactly what makes it so lonely. Being surrounded by family and friends sometimes just makes one more aware of how single they are. No one to go to concerts with, no-one to discuss the tackiness or prettiness of the different Christmas decorations in the city, no-one to even call you specially to wish you a Merry Christmas. It’s enough to make anyone feel down.
Christmas time can feel even lonelier because that’s the height of wedding season in Lagos. Unless you’re very strong, it’s easy to fall into depression at this time of year. But there’s hope! Christmas doesn’t have to mean sadness for singles. All you need to do is plan. It’s like that popular saying – if you fail to plan, you plan to have a miserable holiday. 😉
Anyway, it’ possible to have a good time at Christmas even if you’re single. The first thing to do is to think about what sort of things you like to do or even need to do. If you’ve been busy with work the last few months, now is the time to make a list of all the errands you couldn’t get ‘round to doing and do them. Re-activate that dormant bank account like you’ve been planning, research and sign up for that online course you’ve been thinking about, go and see your friend and her (not-new-anymore) baby who live on the other side of town. You get the idea. Schedule each of those errands so you’re doing one every day and don’t have time to sit at home wondering why NEPA has to be so mean and life so miserable.
If it’s possible, plan to do things with friends who are single like you. I have a friend who travels every Christmas with her single friends just to avoid wedding season in Lagos. One of the last times the group travelled, a guy and a girl in the group found they got along really well and started dating. So that holiday turned out to be successful in several ways – not only did they leave the loneliness that Lagos can radiate at that time of year but 2 people in the group found a new partner and the entire group had fun seeing a new city. It was a great idea!
One December, I was worried about being bored during the holidays so I thought up something to do every day of the holiday and wrote it down. I’m not joking! I went to 2 different beaches, checked out a Christmas fair, went to 2 bars I had never been to before, ate at a new restaurant, went to see a friend who I had been meaning to visit for ages and went to Lekki Conservation Centre. I even had to schedule in a day of rest because I was on the go so much. 🙂 That was the first time I really enjoyed Christmas in Lagos as an adult.
Christmas in Lagos can be lonely but it can also be fun and it really is your choice. Make this holiday what you want it to be. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 🙂
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