Even though there's no one bad time of the year to find your soul mate, there's just something about holiday meet-up stories that warms your heart. Perhaps years of listening to songs with lyrics like "Nobody ought to be alone on Christmas" and "All I want for Christmas is you" has us convinced the holidays are a time when we deserve to be happy, which often means in love and looking forward to cuddling up beside someone beneath a Christmas tree.
"For the past 22 years I have listened to people's complaints about spending the holidays alone; they say it’s a hard time to find somebody special because everyone is already busy doing their usual traditions," says Sherri Murphy, CEP/VIP Matchmaker at Elite Connections International. "I actually believe holiday time is the best time to look for love. There are other people out there searching for the right person just as much as you are. When you put two serious people together it can make to be an amazing success story."
Holiday love connections are special because they renew our faith in love, passion and commitment. These five holiday meet-up stories are as charming as they are unusual. If you're single, they might even inspire you to throw caution to the wind, heed Murphy's advice, and go to all of the events in which you're invited. Anything can happen.
1. He had exactly what she was looking for
"Anthony was dumped three days before Christmas by Mandie. Mandie told him that she had met someone else and did not want to see or hear from him again. There was no explanation except that she needed a 'real man' and that while Anthony was nice, he didn't rock her world. She did this via email and he showed me the email. Mandie had a 12-year-old son that Anthony had bought a gift for. Well, he went to Target to return the present, even though he still wanted to give it to her son. He was following her strict wishes. While he was waiting in the return line, Cary was stressed out waiting for someone to tell her if they have any more Lego Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter builder sets. This happened to be exactly what Anthony was returning.
Anthony heard the exchange and told her she could have it for her son. Cary, skeptical of his intentions and sincerity, said, 'No thanks, I will wait to see if they have it.' Mind you, she made no eye contact during this very brief exchange. Anthony, being very mindful of her impression and skepticism said: 'I understand why you may not want to take this from me but this is about your son and no one else. I'm returning it regardless and at least you know that you're buying it to make him happy. It would make me happy to know he'd get it. Do you really want to leave here with two people unhappy?' To which she smiled and said, "Are you going to ask me out and make us all happy?'
They've dated ever since."
— Chris Armstrong, certified relationship coach at Maze of Love
2. Gift of kisses
"I met my now fiancee 10 days before Christmas. We instantly connected. We went on three dates before he headed off to Greece for the holiday for 2-3 weeks. I also was away at my parents' for the Christmas holiday. When I returned to my apartment in Manhattan after Christmas, I went to my house, and there was a small box of Hershey Kisses waiting for me, with a very cute card. When I went to office the next morning, there was an even bigger box with more Hershey Kisses and another cute card! This really got me."
— Maria Avgitidis, founder and dating coach at Agape Match
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3. Filling big shoes
"A single mom on our site that was juggling school and work was fired right before the holidays. A friend of hers told her about the site, and how she could meet affluent and generous men. She met one man, a 40-something divorcee residing in New Jersey (she was in Brooklyn), and over drinks told him about her story and the unfortunate thing that had just happened to her. The following week, he drove to her house and surprised her with a car full of presents for both her and her daughter. They have been together for two years now, and he 'adopted' her daughter as his own."
— Angela Jacob Bermudo at Seeking Arrangement
4. Mixing business and pleasure
"My now-husband and I met in college and went on a few dates, but I was pretty fickle at the time and didn't trust the fact that he played in a popular band and had scores of girls throwing themselves all over him. Seven years after we first met, I had just broken up with a serious boyfriend when I received an email out of the blue, two weeks before Thanksgiving. It was my college ex, who said he had found me through my then-place of employment and needed advice about travel. We began exchanging emails and, before I knew it, I found myself rushing home from work so I could read whatever long email he had written me that day and write my own witty reply.
We went on our first official date the night after Thanksgiving and enjoyed one of those rare eight-hour dates that you wish could never end. I'd normally never agree to go on another date with someone so soon after our first, but things felt so right between us that we agreed to meet up again that Sunday. We were both already in love — so in love that one of his Christmas gifts to me that year was a cozy green robe that he said he hoped I'd wear while spending more time at his place. It was meant to be — so, no, I didn't run from the room screaming. It was perfect."
— Lisa F.
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5. Second spouse around
"My mom died when I was almost 3. My dad was a widower with 4 kids. My mother's sister was married and had two sons. Her husband left her. My dad stayed in touch with my mom's sister and when her husband left, she talked to my dad about it — she was crying that she had to go to a holiday party alone. My dad offered to take her if she would accompany him to one of his parties. Long story short: they have been married now for over 30 years."
— Stephanie D.