"Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you?
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you?
It's inevitable.
It's a fact that we're gonna get down to it.
So tell me
Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you?

Isn't this the best part of breakin' up
Finding someone else you can't get enough of
Someone who wants to be with you too"

Single for the holidays

Four ways to stay in the holiday spirit when you're on you own.

If you're single during the holiday season, it can sometimes seem like the universe is out to get you with all the plus-one office parties and diamond ring commercials and couples rubbing noses in the cold, cold snow. (OK, I made up that last one, but doesn't it feel that way sometimes?) Stay strong during party-and-present season with these ideas for proud singles everywhere.

Start a personal tradition

Every year, I watch Meet Me In St. Louis, decorate and make magic squares, those sticky bars made with condensed milk, coconut and chocolate chips. It's never on the same day - whenever I feel the Christmas spirit starting, on goes the DVD and out comes my gold eight-inch Ikea tree. Starting a tradition that's just for you is a healthy way to evoke the holiday spirit without feeling lonely. "I always buy a pair of Christmas pyjamas around the beginning of December," says Jennifer, a 34-year-old divorcee from Vancouver. "It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and I do all my wrapping in them."

Buy yourself a gift (and don't open it!)

If you're the type to peek under the tape or scarf down all the cookies so you have to bake more, then this will be a challenge. Buy something you covet, big or small, it's up to you and your budget. Wrap it in pretty paper or take it to a pro so it's extra-special. Hide it in the closet until after all the holiday hullabaloo is finished and try to keep it there. "Last year, I bought this amazing little black dress on sale just before Christmas and I wanted to wear it New Year's Eve. I had it wrapped at the store and took it to my mom's so I wouldn't open it before," says 30-year-old Marie from Toronto. "Even though the mystery was gone, it made me so happy to have one more present after it was all over."

Plan a festive night in

Game nights, holiday movie marathons, cookie swaps, present wrapping parties - it doesn't matter what the occasion is as long as your closest friends stop by. Make sure you have a few nibblies on hand and have the bar basics at the ready. Check out our bar checklist to be sure you have the essentials. "My family has been doing a carol sing-a-long since I was a little girl and it's grown from neighbours and friends to [include] my brothers and I and all our friends," says Michelle a 31-year-old Toronto single. "It's cheesy, it's drunken, we all wear Christmas sweaters and sing our hearts out and I look forward to it every year." You don't have to plan a big bash, just a few friends and good conversation is all you need to erase any holiday blues.

Get some fresh air

Set your heart racing and the endorphins pumping with a little outdoor R'n'R. If the cutesy couples and smiling families at the local rink make you want to pull a Tonya Harding, venture no further than your backyard (or local park). Build a snow-ex and then knock it down. Sounds juvenile, right? Don't worry, it'll be our little secret. Moved past secret snow-based revenge? Head for the hills and a little tobogganing. F.Y.I, it's also a great way to meet guys: Chances are, you'll find more than a few single men reliving their sledding days. "I think this year my single friends and I are going to bring thermoses with Bailey's coffee to the park," says Alison, a 30-year-old Hamilton, ON single. "Last year the toboggan hill was crawling with groups of guys and I can only imagine what a little hot, laced coffee will add to the mix."

Hey, rose, just born
Twin to a thorn;
Was't so with you, O Love and Scorn?

Sweet eyes that smiled,
Now wet and wild:
O Eye and Tear- mother and child.

Well: Love and Pain
Be kinfolks twain;
Yet would, Oh would I could Love again.