'Tinselling' could be seriously damaging your relationship this Christmas

The festive season is officially upon us, otherwise known as the most romantic time of year.

Cosy evenings by the fire watching Love Actually, walking hand-in-hand through the snow, date nights sipping mulled wine at the Christmas market. Ahh, bliss!

For some couples, however, the pressure that comes with Christmas can be too hard to bare, whether that be due to dreaded gift-giving, spending excessive time indoors together avoiding the bad weather or bickering over who is cooking the roast dinner.

And it turns out that there's a brand new festive dating term doing the rounds this year, used to describe when couples are struggling to get into the romantic spirit.

Coined by Tina Wilson - Relationship Expert and founder of the Wingman App - the official term used to describe when a couple ignores and even conceals the cracks in their relationship in the run up to the holidays, is 'tinselling'.

This is seemingly an apt name for this brutal relationship stage, being that tinsel is often used to cover up gaps/rough patches on a Christmas tree.

Getty Images/AleksandarNakic

Catching up with Tyla, Tina elaborated on her definition for 'tinselling', so that struggling couples out there know what they're looking for.

"They choose to maintain a facade of harmony and togetherness," she said. "All while overlooking unresolved problems in the relationship.

"The name draws inspiration from the shiny, cheerful veneer of tinsel which is used to decorate during the festive season, covering what is beneath."

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Tina added that couples will use tinselling in dating as a 'deliberate distraction' until the New Year rolls around.

Describing January as the period when these unlucky-in-love duos will likely 'need to sit down and chat about their relationship', she adds that a 'break up will be pending as they wish to start the year fresh'.

Getty/Witthaya Prasongsin

Tina's exclusive insight comes just days after another expert revealed the 13 tell-tale signs that your boo has fallen out of love with you.

Before getting into the rundown, however, British sexpert, Tracey Cox explained to MailOnline: "We're all individuals and what's a glaring warning sign for one couple might just be normal behaviour for another."

Let's get into the list, however...

1. Affection has disappeared
2. The 'little things' stop
3. They recoil if you try to be affectionate
4. They're avoiding spending time with you
5. They start seeing their family without you
6. There's a change in their routine or behaviour
7. They keep conversation light
8. They don't like talking about the future
9. They're confiding in people other than you
10. They've stopped 'checking in'
11. They avoid answering when you ask if something's wrong
12. They make no effort
13. You're bickering

Get in touch with Tina at www.tinawilson.co/contact or check out the Wingman App - a free dating app that lets your friends play matchmaker.