A new survey suggests that December 6 is the last day before Christmas that it is reasonable to end things. Does this strike a chord?

Merry Christmas everyone! Today is apparently the day when, if you are thinking of leaving your partner before the festive season begins, it is still perfectly reasonable to do so!

I thought that would cheer you all up.

Yes, according to a survey by www.Hillarys.co.uk, who make blinds, so I'm not quite sure what possessed them, the general view of the 2643 coupled up and single people polled was that if you are planning a dumping, leaving it any later than December 6 would be unreasonable.

Sorry if you're reading this after the deadline, because I'm afraid you are now going to have to wait until January if you are thinking of making a bid for freedom.

As Lucy Askew, spokesperson for www.Hillarys.co.uk, said: "You would think that December would be the most popular time of year for couples to get together, but this research reveals quite the opposite." She added that, " it is best to do it now to at least give them time to feel better before Christmas comes. You wouldn't want to be responsible for ruining the most wonderful time of the year for someone by splitting up right beforehand!"

Quite.

I do love these kinds of surveys. They cause you to stop, take stock and then...take no notice of them whatsoever!

But this one did generate a bit of discussion in the office.

What was the best way to do a dumping, for example. 'Brutal' was generally agreed to be the best approach. 'Tough at the start, but much better than letting it dribble on.'

One colleague however was of the view that 'If I woke up on Christmas Day and decided I wanted to dump them, then I would. I mean, once you know, why wait?'

Hmm. This seems to go against the general feeling of the survey, but perhaps people have answered the questions with an approach more sensitive than perhaps they really are?

However, that said, as another colleague pointed out, "I can see the logic of December 6. If you're going to do it, why wait another 19 days in purgatory? And it saves you buying a present for someone who you don't plan on being with for the long term.'

A bit of pragmatism there, although only 1% of those surveyed were of the view that December was a good time to end things to avoid buying presents. Meanwhile, only 4% said it was a chance to be single for Christmas, which may have been an underestimation, since everyone knows that Christmas is the best time to find love (or an approximation) - few want turkey for one and a single cracker, so standards have been known to slip at this time of year (I'm told.)

But behind all this, there is a serious point. The survey also found that December was the most common month to end a relationship, a point we at this newspaper can testify to, because every year we will see proportionately far more articles by local law firms offering support through divorce in January than at any other time of year. This is because Christmas, with all its tensions, and disproportionate amounts of time spent with a partner, is a key time for relationships to unravel.

Other reasons for this, according to an article by Richard Scott of Howells solicitors, are that alcohol consumption increases, which can lead to 'the worst case scenario' of domestic violence, financial pressures reach an apex, office parties offer temptations and often people will stay together for one last Christmas with the children and then go their separate ways.

Apparently, the first Monday back at work after Christmas is dubbed Divorce Day in some law offices so if you've missed your chance today, you'll probably be waiting until then.

Either way, spare a thought for those with whom this strikes a chord - we've all been there at one time or another. A broken heart is pretty bad at any time of year, but turkey doesn't tend to make it taste any better, does it?