Being Single Over the Holidays

"You can always throw your own party and ask friends to bring one or two people you've never met before," says Sarah Smith, who traditionally spends the week between Christmas and New Year's vacationing in Hawaii. "Opening your home to friends and new people gives you a chance for great fun and new social opportunities."

"The advantage of being single during the holidays is that families often open their homes to you," says Doe Gentry, producer and singles correspondent for "Single in L.A.," a cable television show broadcast in the greater Los Angeles area. "Many people with families of their own enjoy having others from outside the family celebrate with them."

Noting that some single people prefer to take vacations during the holidays, Gentry says, "Club Med sometimes has fantastic deals for singles during this time of year." Bert Ball, a development executive at a Los Angeles non-profit foundation, adds that he sometimes takes spa vacations during the holidays.