A recent study has found that the day when feelings of loneliness, isolation, and invisibility are most prevalent among singles isn't what most people would think. Some might think of Valentine's Day or New Year's Day, but in reality, the hardest day for them is Halloween .
Who would have imagined that a day full of sweets, costumes, and scary decorations could make people who live alone feel sad?
According to a survey conducted by Dating.com with 1,000 singles, it turns out that for many of them Halloween is an extremely lonely day. 59% of respondents said that it is one of the most emotionally difficult days, while 57% compared it to even harder than Valentine's Day.
Almost 79% of participants admitted to feeling lonely on the last night of October, and more than half said they cried while opening the door for children handing out candy, a gesture that seems innocent but can deeply affect those who feel lonely. Meanwhile, couples in 'matchy-matchy ' costumes or family photos that invade social media don't help at all: 73% said social media worsens feelings of loneliness during Halloween .
The results of the study are surprising. 77% of singles admitted that they often pretend to have plans for Halloween, while 62% rarely openly admit how they really feel, trying to appear "good" even when they feel lonely and disconnected from others.
Although at first glance Halloween doesn't seem like a holiday that can bring sadness, for many people, it coincides with a festive period that makes them feel even lonelier in contrast to the general joy around.
This sense of isolation, however, is not limited to this day. The United States has long been facing a "loneliness epidemic," especially in large cities like New York, where more than half of residents report feeling lonely.
In the area of ??public health, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy urges people to take “small, daily steps to strengthen their relationships.” According to him, “the impact of social isolation on longevity is similar to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that of being overweight or physically inactive.”
