SINGAPORE – It is that time of the year again, when most people gather their nearest and dearest and sit down for a meal in familiar company. 

But for every flat filled with laughter, there may be another shrouded in silence. Separated from their loved ones by death, disputes or distance, many are marking the close of another year – alone. 

Loneliness can feel especially acute when everyone else seems to be having the best holiday ever. According to a 2023 American Psychological Association poll, the stress levels of 41 per cent of adults increase during the holiday season. 

Such festive social and emotional isolation afflicts many in Singapore too, which is why some residents are trying to stem the tide, one party at a time. This year-end, The Straits Times speaks to the people who are choosing to celebrate not with friends and family, but with those who have no one else.

Lonely Christmas no more

When 29-year-old David Loh sits down for dinner on Dec 24, he might not recognise anyone at the table, apart from his wife. 

The gallery manager and his wife, Mrs Esther Loh – a 28-year-old creative strategist at a social media agency – are throwing a party for people who might feel lonely around this time of year. It will be the second such gathering they have hosted, following a similarly-themed get-together in 2022 that went viral on TikTok. 

That video, viewed more than 100,000 times since, attracted close to 300 responses from people eager to att...