Match.com, the world's number one dating and relationship company, is helping single people get the most out of the holidays by offering a special holiday bonus section of its popular guide, "How to Meet the Right Person in 90 Days." Written by relationship expert and author Dawn Yanek, the free holiday guide is now available exclusively at Match.com, along with the original step-by-step guide that more than 320,000 singles have used in their search for love.

Match.com surveyed more than 750 single adults to gain insight regarding their thoughts on dating and relationships during the holidays.

   *  Thirty-six percent of single people said they feel additional pressure
      during the holidays to be in a relationship
   *  Fifty-eight percent of single adults didn't want to attend holiday
      office parties by themselves
   *  Thirty percent have actually stayed home from events simply because
      they didn't have a date
   *  Seventy-nine percent of singles feel good during the holidays when
      spending time with friends and family

"The holidays are full of fun and family celebrations, but they can also be very stressful, especially for single people," said author Yanek.

The guide's new holiday bonus section provides singles with real-world relationship advice focused on the holiday season, including seven tips for successful holiday dating; how to click your way to holiday dating success; answers to the most pressing holiday dating questions; and personal insight from an inspirational Match.com couple who discovered their chemistry during the Thanksgiving holiday.

"Based on our 10 years of successful matches, we know that the holidays are actually one of the best times of the year to expand your romantic possibilities," said Kristin Kelly, senior director of public relations for Match.com. "With our new holiday section of the guide, we are sharing that experience with our members so they can look forward to the holidays and take advantage of this magical time of year to begin a lasting relationship."

The special holiday edition of the Match.com dating guide helps individuals actively sort out their priorities, re-evaluate their approach to holiday dating and change their outlook so that every holiday gathering or item on their holiday "to do" list becomes an opportunity to find the next great date.

Match.com knows from recent research that 77 percent of adult singles volunteer during the holidays for altruistic reasons, but Yanek suggests that single people can also look for love while doing a good deed. She recommends organizing a group of friends or co-workers to work on a charitable project and then wait for sparks to fly. She also says that holiday parties are a good place to find romance, as fully a quarter of single people plan to attend their holiday parties without a date. And, Yanek points out, once you are at the party, scoping out the mistletoe in the room is a good strategy. In fact, 41 percent of singles admit to casually standing underneath the mistletoe at holiday parties.

About Match.com

Match.com pioneered online personals when it launched on the Web in 1995 and continues to lead this exciting and evolving category after a decade. Throughout its 10-year history, Match.com has redefined the way people meet and fall in love and is credited with more marriages than any other site. Today, more than 15 million people around the world participate in the Match.com community, providing a rich tapestry of ethnicities, interests, goals, ambitions, quirks, looks and personalities from which to choose.

Match.com is the world's biggest online dating and personals property, according to the August 2005 global ranking of the Personals category by industry-leading independent measurement firm comScore Media Metrix. Number one across North America and Europe, Match.com operates leading subscription- based online dating sites in 32 countries, in 18 languages and spanning six continents. Match.com also powers online dating on MSN across Europe, Asia, the United States and Latin America and is the premier provider of personals for Love@AOL. Match.com is an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI).

SOURCE: Match.com

CONTACT: Liz Entwistle of Match.com, +1-214-576-9321, or
liz.entwistle@match.com

Web site: http://www.match.com/