The Loneliest Night Of The Year Might Not Be The One You Think

Spooky season? More like lonely season. A recent survey by Dating.com, shared with the New York Post on Oct. 18, revealed a surprising finding: Halloween is the loneliest day of the year for single people. While holidays like Valentine’s Day or Christmas are often associated with romantic or family togetherness, it turns out that Oct. 31 can leave many singles feeling especially isolated and invisible.

The survey, which polled 1,000 singles, found that 59% consider Halloween one of the most emotionally challenging holidays of the year, and 57% say it feels even lonelier than Valentine’s Day, the Dating.com survey found.

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Nearly four out of five respondents (79%) admitted to feeling lonely on Halloween night. More than half said they’ve even shed tears after opening the door to trick-or-treating families, a simple, wholesome tradition that can inadvertently amplify feelings of being left out.

Social media only intensifies those emotions. Seventy-three percent of participants said posts of couples in coordinated costumes or families celebrating together make their loneliness worse. Seventy-seven percent confessed to pretending they have plans on Halloween, and 62% rarely open up about how they’re really feeling, choosing instead to put on a brave face, the Dating.com survey found.

While Halloween may not traditionally be associated with loneliness, experts note that the fall and winter holiday season can be an especially difficult time for many. This is further compounded by what health officials have called a “loneliness epidemic” in the U.S.—particularly in urban areas like New York City.

Loneliness can harm your health.

So if you or a loved one is facing loneliness this Halloween season, make sure you both get out there and surround yourself with community. Your health depends on it more than you know. Research published in eClinical Medicine in 2023 connected social isolation to a higher likelihood of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and even chronic diseases such as cardiovascular conditions and diabetes. Elevated stress hormones like cortisol—once a survival mechanism in early human societies—may play a role in these outcomes.

Shockingly, a 2020 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that social isolation can increase the risk of premature death to a degree comparable with smoking, obesity, or physical inactivity. It’s also associated with a 50% higher risk of dementia, a 29% increase in heart disease, and a 32% increase in stroke. Loneliness disproportionately affects certain communities, including older adults, LGBTQ+ individuals, migrants, and people facing socioeconomic challenges.

As the Halloween season approaches, recognizing and addressing loneliness—and creating opportunities for meaningful connection—may be more important than ever.

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