It’s not easy to spend the end of year holidays with family or friends when your relationship is on the verge of breaking up. This time of year is not conducive to deep conversations that could lead to separation. Instead, we tend to put our problems aside during the holidays and play “perfect couple” to avoid indiscreet or embarrassing questions. This is called “tinselling.”
In the world of romantic relationships, a new word is emerging: tinselling. This English term “is inspired by the bright and cheerful veneer of tinsel that is used to decorate during the holiday season and which hides what is underneath,” explains Tina Wilson, founder of the dating app Wingman , on the Tyla website. Tinselling is basically adding superficial elements to a relationship to make it appear perfect.
Tinselling, a temporary escape
On the surface, some relationships appear to be thriving from the outside. But by scraping off the varnish layer, they are actually hiding problems. And generally, couples don’t want to worry about any worries they might have during the holiday season. They then prefer to pretend to embody the perfect couple. Tinselling offers a temporary escape from uncomfortable conversations with family and friends, usually postponed until a more opportune time, often in January, which means new beginnings. Unless the magic of Christmas and the end of year celebrations takes place…
According to Tina Wilson, contacted by Stylist UK, “tinselling” can have harmful consequences on couples. As the expert points out, they often tend to embellish their relationship during the holiday season, under social and family pressure to embody unity, love and happiness. However, this festive facade can hide real troubled feelings. “Pretending is a quick fix for some couples who want to get through the holiday season until they feel able to take appropriate action.” Yet this approach can lead to bigger problems: “Not talking openly about your feelings can spark arguments that will lead to resentment and break down trust between the two of you. Additionally, you deprive the relationship of the opportunity to solve problems that could be solved through communication.
You will therefore have understood that delaying a crucial conversation for your relationship, just for the holidays, does not seem advisable. Whether it’s Christmas, New Year, or any time of year, it’s essential to be authentic in your relationship. Communication remains the key element to solving problems and strengthening the strength of your relationship. So, there’s no need to pretend, because there’s nothing more precious than sincere relationships, even during the holidays.
