The festive season might seem like to perfect opportunity to get snuggly with a significant other, but daters have been urged to look out for a toxic dating trend called “Scrooging” that could end in heartbreak. Modern dating is full of potential hurdles and pitfalls, as new dating trends like “phubbing” and the “penny dating method” come along. The latest trend that could make a budding relationship end in disaster is Scrooging and it is specifically linked to Christmas. Scrooging happens when a person dumps their partner right before Christmas to get out of buying them a present. Unsurprisingly, the name of the toxic trend gets its name from Ebenezer Scrooge – the grumpy character from Charles Dickens’ 1843 book A Christmas Carol – who hates Christmas. According to experts, people who are willing to dump someone over a gift may have other red flag traits that are best avoided. Times Now suggests Scroogers may do it because they don’t see anything long-term with their partner and therefore are unwilling to spend money on them. They may also display other selfish traits such as not wanting to meet their partner’s friends and family and being self-centred and unwilling to invest quality time. Scrooging may also be used as an excuse to start over in the New Year with a new partner that they are perhaps more interested in pursuing. So, in the lead-up to Christmas, if Scrooging is a concern in your relationship, it might be a good idea to pay closer notice to your partner’s attention levels to see if they are becoming distant. But, as is the case in all relationships, communication is key – if you suspect you’re about to get dumped at Christmas, communicate with them to see where you stand as a couple. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.