People five times more likely to have a one-night stand in month before Christmas than any other time
People are five times more likely to have a one-night stand in the month before Christmas than any other time of year, a new survey suggests.
And with 2022's Christmas party season kicking off on Friday 25 November, it's the most popular setting to spark a night of passion.
A third of women (32%) and a similar number of men (36%) have enjoyed a one-night stand before, while a fifth of women (21%) and more than a quarter of men (26%) have (more than) hit it off with a colleague at a festive work do.
And it seems that 59% of women and 54% of men are confident one will most likely happen this festive season, the survey of 2,000 people signed up to IllicitEncounters.com finds.
Read more: STIs most feared topic on a date - and 63% won't even broach the subject with friends
Booze, perhaps unsurprisingly, is one of the biggest factors driving one-night stands. The vast majority of women (82%) and men (84%) who have had one say they had been drinking alcohol beforehand.
Nevertheless, only 17% of women and 12% of men say they regret having them.
More worryingly, a third of women (34%) and men (35%) having one-night stands are cheating on their current partners. But with the study conducted by the UK's leading affairs site, we can only assume this is representative of those signed up, rather than the general public...
So, while most of us won't be seeking an affair by doing it, one-night stands are still typically common. Previous research, for example, found that 66% of Americans and Europeans had had at least one in their life so far, and another by ONE Condoms reportedly showed that more than half of Brits (56%) have had one.
The new research also finds that two-thirds of women (64%) and 67% of men say that Christmas is an aphrodisiac and they desire sex more at this time of year.
Plus, the 2022 Christmas party season is expected to be 'even sexier' this year after two years of celebrations ruined by COVID-19. So much so that three-quarters of women (74%) and 82% of men said they expect to party harder this year now that restrictions have been lifted.
Read more: Sex regrets: Two-thirds of Brits would change first sexual experience if they could
"The one-night stand season starts this week," says Jessica Leoni, sex and relationship expert with IllicitEncounters.
"We are five times more likely to jump into bed with someone on the spur of the moment at this time of the year.
"Everyone will be partying even harder this year after two years of restrictions and that is bound to lead to a surge of one-night stands and more cheating.
"Most people really enjoy them and just see them as a fun part of the partying season.”
The site has seen a rise of 18% in subscriptions this year, mainly among women aged 35-50 for reasons including becoming 'bored' with their partners, or being unhappy with the sex they're getting at home.
Read more: What is cuffing season? Plus other winter dating trends explained
Watch: Cara Delevingne reveals she had a one-night stand in an elevator
Top 10 occasions for one-night stands
Christmas party
First few days of a holiday
A friend’s party
A wedding
Stag do or hen night
Night at the pub
Blind date
School reunion
Sports club party
Random hook-up with stranger
