How To Survive The Holidays —Without Breaking Up

So, you like this person. Like, like like. Maybe it’s even love? Or, maybe you two are just having fun hanging out. Whatever the case, don’t go and screw it all up over the holidays.

Alongside the season’s never-ending carols and chintzy department-store decorations lurk some serious relationship pitfalls. Your stress levels are through the roof, your calendar is stuffed to its edges, and your alcohol-and-sugar intake is hitting record highs. All of that could leave your significant other neglected, cranky, and/or halfway out the door.

To help you out, we identified eight of the most high-stress holiday situations and enlisted some experts to figure out how to navigate them. Here’s an eight-step guide to not killing your partner during the festive season.