If you’re a fan of football, you will know about transfer deadline days. For those of you who don’t, here’s a brief summary.

Football clubs are given windows of time (transfer windows) in which they are allowed to buy and sell players. The last day of these windows is known as ‘deadline day’. The point to take away is that it requires people to make decisions about the future by a certain date.

In 2013, the term ‘Relationship Transfer Deadline Day’ was coined. The 16th December is the last day by which you should break up with a romantic partner over whom you were having doubts, as “No one likes a Christmas dumping”. Breaking up on the 16th allows a solid week and a half for both parties to get any emotions out of the system before Christmas Day. It's too cruel to dump someone over Christmas, so anyone in a relationship after 16th December has to stay with their partner until January.

For people as disorganised as myself, deadline day also avoids the issue of buying Christmas present. If you’ve been with someone for a month, what on earth is an acceptable gift? Plus nobody wants to be one of those people who overpays horribly and is then left feeling bitter when their partner moves on a few weeks later for some guy with a topknot and ‘designer stubble’.

Has anyone had a christmas break up ? share your experience with us

Jargon