Have you been dumped before Christmas? ‘Scrooging’ dating trend reveals sinister motive behind holiday splits

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — especially if you’re in love.

After a cuffing season spent courting, many new couples are spending the holidays cozied up together or meeting one another’s families for the first time.

However, other stunned lovers are finding themselves getting screwed over — or “scrooged” —thanks to a dastardly dating trend.

According to Ask Men, “scrooging” refers to the savage act of dumping a partner because you don’t want to buy them a gift for Christmas or Hanukkah.

“People who break off relationships ahead of Christmas or a birthday often aim to avoid the financial expense of buying a gift—hence the ‘Scrooge’ reference,” the founder of Datingscout, Chris Pleines, told the website.

But stinginess isn’t the only reason behind scrooging.

The term also refers to getting dumped before the holidays because your partner realizes they simply don’t want to spend time with you during the festive season, nor introduce you to their family.

Scrooging is the opposite of “sledging” — a trend that sees twenty-somethings stay in dead-end relationships just so that they’re not alone for Christmas.

Sledgers drag along their love interests — as if they were on a sled — through the holidays before promptly ending things just after New Year.

For those still brave enough to date after Dec. 31, there’s a range of new romance trends on the horizon for 2025.

One such trend is “freak matching,” “according to Plenty of Fish, a practice that sees prospective mates seek out and embrace shared quirks.

Rachel DeAlto, dating expert at Plenty of Fish, said freak matching is about “embracing our individuality and authenticity.”

“When we put less pressure on ourselves, dating becomes more about having fun and enjoying new experiences,” DeAlto added.