As joyful as the holidays are they are also known to be the time when being single is frowned upon and quite frankly don't feel too good. Whether it's Thanksgiving and your great aunt is asking about your love life, or it is Christmas and you have no one to kiss under the mistletoe or the traditional New Years Kiss that you won't be getting for another year. All these mushy gushy love traditions almost make it impossible to enjoy the holiday while being single.

But, just as cuffing season is in full effect and it may be hard to watch your friends make out session on New Years at that party or the endless posts on Instagram and Snapchat of people celebrating the holidays with their significant other, keep in mind that you should cherish this holiday while being single.

As I begin to reflect on the year I can't help remember what being in a relationship was like this time of year last year.

I still didn't get my New Years kiss and nevertheless a mistletoe kiss. It was more FaceTime calls and sneakily texting at the dinner table since he was with his family and I was with mine. It almost seemed disrespectful to our families to try and arrange for us to be together on the holiday seeing that we weren't together that long at that point. I start to remember how I lost the complete point of Christmas and New Year's.

I began to get so caught up in shopping for my significant other that I forgot that Christmas was about celebrating the birth of my savior.

I began to get so caught up in texting, calling and Snapchatting my significant other on New Years as the ball was dropping that I missed the champagne toast with my family. Looking back at last year and comparing it to this year (now that I am spending my holidays single) I am realizing that I missed out on so much and that being single on the holiday is actually a hundred times better.

As you enter this holiday single and without that New Year's kiss or that romantic kiss under the mistletoe. know this: These traditions don't make those holidays what they are.

The birth of Christ is what makes Christmas (CHRIST-mas.) It is to be celebrated with your family cherishing the cookie making, the laughter, and family in general. Just as a New Years Kiss isn't what makes that a holiday either. You are celebrating a NEW BEGINNING. Let it be just that. Don't miss out on the toast with your family that you get to have around for another year because you are stressing about the kiss you are missing out on.

Be thankful in this holiday season that you are single and keep in mind that though you don't have a 'bae' to do the mushy gushy traditions with you aren't missing out on much. But, also keep in mind that your prince, your mistletoe kiss, your new year's kiss will come with time. It may even be this upcoming year that he comes into your life and this might be the last holiday season you have to just relax with your family instead of stressing to make plans with your person. Most importantly,

You aren't alone this season. Yes, you are single, but you are not alone. There is a big difference.