For many, January is a time for new beginnings and fresh starts. This can mean a change in lifestyle or a change in romantic partners. According to a Yahoo survey conducted in the UK, twice as many breakups happen in January than in any other month and, in the U.K., they have dubbed January 12 National Breakup Day and the month of January National BreakUp month.

Other than an odd coincidence, there are many reasons so many people might be breaking up this month. Some people want out of a relationship, but don't want to be dateless over the holidays so they prolong the breakup past Christmas. Married couples planning to separate or divorce might decide to stay together so the family can have one last traditional Christmas together and then break it to the kids after the holidays. Some singles want to secure a kiss for New Year's Eve, but don't want to hang around for Valentine's Day. If you are in bliss this month, you might want to reassess what your partner is feeling so that you don't end up a statistic this month.

People who responded to the Yahoo survey provided some reasons as to why January can be the month to dump: their partners' bad behavior at Christmas and New Year's parties was a factor; One third of the men surveyed blamed conflicts with in-laws over the holidays; and 23 percent of those surveyed bought their soon-to-be ex a present out of guilt, knowing that a breakup was imminent. Also, with February looming around the corner, the pressure can be so great that more than a third of single men avoid being in a relationship between Thanksgiving and February, just so that they can escape the big V-day.