Forget Black Friday: today has now been dubbed ‘Unfaithful Friday,’ as it has been revealed that 23rd November is the most popular day to cheat on a partner. Which is all rather festive, really.
Why has this Friday (which this year coincides with the annual barrage of deals and discounts from retailers, following Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States) apparently become such a prime time for adultery, you ask? According to married dating website (yes, such things exist – remember all the scandal around the Ashley Madison data breach a few years back?) Illicit Encounters, this weekend is the last time that cheaters can sneak off without their partner becoming suspicious, the rationale being that once the festive season kicks off in earnest, it’s far more difficult to arrange secret rendez-vous due to all the interminable family commitments and festive drinks ‘dos.
The research from Illicit Encounters found that 80 percent of their users (ie. people who are already open to having affairs) had arranged to see their lover on November 23rd.
Christian Grant, a spokesperson for the site, said ‘The clocks going back afford us more time in bed, but they allow for a lot more when it comes to adultery. Pitch black afternoons aren’t exactly joyful, especially for those who wait long hours at home for their partner to return from work, and it’s in these moments of upsetting reflection that someone may realise how fractured their marriage is.’
‘As a result, they decide to warm up their cold, dark afternoons, with a steamy affair being the perfect remedy.’ Sounds a little extreme to us – especially when there’s so much good TV on at the moment…
The research also found that 40 percent of users would use a work event or business trip as cover for infidelity, and that activity on IllicitEncounters.com spikes by 30 percent in the run up to so-called Unfaithful Friday.
Christian added, ‘over the Christmas period there is very little free time for most of us. It’s hard enough to make time for extramarital activities without having to think about all of the obligations that come with Christmas.’
It all sounds rather like the plot for a dark festive rom-com, or perhaps a scrapped storyline from Love Actually…