Breadcrumbs or The Whole Cookie?

The Weird Holiday Dating Season

Breadcrumbing is a year-round phenomenon.

People you meet on the apps text endlessly, often with compliments and pix and updates on their lives.

But you never meet, and after a casual phone call or coffee, they revert to frequent texting.

During the holiday season, these people have legit reasons for low or no contact.

“My family is in from out of town.”

“Work is crazy at the end of the year/start of the year.”

“I’m taking a dating pause because I spent/ate too much and am focused on self-care.”

So, how do we, as daters, distinguish between breadcrumbers and people who don’t want to talk or meet in the real world for any number of reasons?

Just as people have “rules” on when to take down their Christmas trees, menorahs, and other seasonal decor, I have a new rule on throwing out the “cookie” because it’s turned into crumbs.

If, by January 15th, you haven’t heard from “Santa” that the package is arriving soon, stop believing in the jolly dude and move on. You may love that hot red suit, but you aren’t getting any gift, girl (or guy)!

I’ve been reading about seasonal dating trends and have uncovered a treasure trove of insights into dating behavior throughout the calendar year. One article links dating behavior to the weather.

Think about how you shop. If you order something on Amazon Prime that hasn’t arrived within two weeks, you check the status, then ask for a return, buy the item at Target, and move on.

Of course, we’re dealing with human realities here, not a 12-pack of toilet paper.

But the concept remains the same.

Stop waiting and put your time and energy into dating real people who want to hang out with you.

Why settle for crumbs if you can get the whole cookie one day?