So we’re home for the holidays to spend time with family and friends over food and festivities – and hopefully to ignite some of our hottest hook-ups of the year. Celebrations (and champagne) are never in short supply, and love is in the air wherever we go. Of course, hook-ups are often a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing, prone to happen anytime and anywhere. So as you approach the holiday season and fantasize about your latest crush, consider Her Campus’s run-down ofour favorite and least favorite holiday hook-up spots…
THE BEST
Un-der-neath the mis-tle-toe.
Clichéd as it may seem, there’s something to be said for this tradition, and the song that goes with it. This move is a great one to make if he’s not making the ones you want him to. Take it upon yourself to “somehow end up” beneath the mistletoe with him and don’t let him laugh it off – kiss him before he has the chance to realize how corny the situation might be, and linger a little, to suggest that maybe just one kiss isn’t enough.
In the snow… and then by the fire.
If he’s a competitor, he’ll love it if you try to take him down in a snowball fight. Surprise him with your impressive throwing skills, and although your catapulting arm may keep you rather far away from him, it’s okay to get close after you peg him just a few times. The cold, wet snow won’t be a pleasant hookup spot for long, but it’s cute for a few minutes. Once you start shivering, take it inside and snuggle up next to a fire.
At the ice skating rink.
Nothing says winter romance more than an ice-skating outing. We’ve all seen it happen in the movies, and there’s really no excuse not to fit this holiday time activity into your schedule. Try to limit the laughter as you watch each other try to get the hang of things, and share a few pointers on the best ways to not fall. Making out on the ice can get dangerous, but it can also be terribly romantic. Bundle up and brave the rink together – concentrate on staying up, but snag a few kisses along the way.
On the beach.
Whatever your warm weather destination of choice, there’s no better climate than one where temperatures surpass 80 degrees on the reg, allowing you that summer-in-the-dead-of-winter glow. Men can be equally sexy with a bit of a tan (though let’s not go too Jersey Shore), and holiday vacation is the perfect time for a beach hook-up with a vacation hottie. Come nighttime, find yourselves a secluded part of the beach – even better are those cabanas – to enjoy the sounds of crashing waves as opposed to overrated club/party music.
In your most fabulous holiday fashions.
Holiday time is fancy time when it comes to getting dressed, and it’s totally appropriate to bring out your best. From the sequins, to the (faux) fur, to the rhinestones, to the beads, anything festive is fair game; flirty holiday frocks make us feel our fiercest, and make the holidays feel really special. And somehow, these special occasion clothes can make a hook-up all the more exciting… even if they do just end up coming off.
THE WORST
In the holiday party host’s parents’ bed.
It might be that the master bed is just too accessible and tempting, or that you think it’ll be an easy bed to remake, but whatever reason your intoxicated self uses to justify hooking up in a party host’s parents’ bed is just wrong. Not only is this rude, but it’s weird and gross, too. There’s no need to run the risk of someone’s dad walking in on you and your flame messing up the sheets on his bed on New Year’s Eve. Save yourself the potential embarrassment and find a closet somewhere or something if you really can’t restrain yourself.
With your ex- at your high school friend’s party.
As difficult as it most likely was to end that relationship, no matter how it happened, it’s probably just as hard to face him again without wanting to pick up where you left off. But hooking up with him will mess with both your heads, and send you into a tizzy of not just holiday cheer, but confusion as well. Resist the urge to give in to that cozy feeling of familiarity, and treat him like you would any other guy friend. Sure, maybe he grew into himself in college and has clearer skin, but try to recall the reasons your relationship didn’t work out in the first place. You’ve moved on, so don’t look back.
In your family’s hotel room on vacation.
What happens when it’s just getting hot-and-heavy and all of a sudden, your little sister walks in to find her stuffed animal? Not only does she see everything, but you realize that her Bunny-Foo-Foo had been watching the entire time! Hook-ups in family-accessible areas are simply a no-no. There’s too much potential for interruption, grave embarrassment, and subsequent questioning of morals by any and all family members.
Mid-shopping trip in the dressing room.
When you’ve dragged your guy to the mall for holiday shopping, expect him to moan and groan until he finds something exciting. An electronics or Apple store might do the trick and shut him up for a little while, but if he’s smart, he might suggest taking over a dressing room and going at it. While it sounds like fun, it a) totally interferes with your shopping game and b) has the potential to make other customers extremely uncomfortable and angry (not to mention you could be banned from one of your favorite stores!). Holiday shopping can get intense and competitive, and the last thing you want to be doing in a public place is attracting negative attention because of your dressing-room-hook-up-gone-wrong.
In houses of worship.
Sure, holiday celebrations mean lots of champagne, party dresses, food and friends, but there’s also that whole religious side, too. For those of us who spend time in places of worship during the holidays, it’s important to note that these domains – though they are venues for “celebrating” the holidays – should be kept completely separate from our social lives, even if our friends and/or love interests are sitting two rows ahead of us. That means that hooking up during religious services is 100% not okay, and will earn you a spot right on the Naughty List.
Celebrating the holidays and the New Year can certainly include any or all of these hook-up spots. That doesn’t mean they’re ideal, though the fireworks and popped bottles of champagne might indicate some degree of hook-up perfection. Wherever you decide to get busy, ensure that doors are locked, family members are nowhere nearby and, for the sake of new beginnings, your guy isn’t an ex.