Do people spend more money on sex workers at Christmas?

You might think the Christmas spirit is in full swing, with Aussies feeling mischievous and merry. But is it a busy time for a sex worker?

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I might be in a minority here, but I happen to love Christmas.

From the constant visual assault of twinkling rainbow lights to the ever-present audio loop of Christmas carols in every store and mall, I’m a sucker for everything festive.

I simply adore making a list of my loved ones and setting off to find them each the perfect gift, I swoon at the thought of spending the night in watching Christmas films under the watchful glow of the baubles on the tree and when it comes to Christmas-themed food, I simply can’t get enough.

In fact, I unashamedly love anything tacky, commercial, and cheap so come December 1, slap on some faux-snow decorations and a pair of jingling bells and I’ll be first in line to buy whatever you’re selling.

Still, I understand that Christmas can be a difficult time for many.

Maybe the only thing worse than realising exactly how much you’re going to be spending on presents, outings and trips over the silly season is facing the thought of spending the holidays alone.

Christmas can be annoying and expensive, but worse, it can be incredibly isolating.

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Maybe there’s no bigger indicator of the national mood than how much money is being spent on sex workers at any one time.

January is a notoriously quiet time in the adult industry. With everyone still dragging themselves out of the sun and back to their offices, business doesn’t really pick up until February at the earliest.

Conversely, the month after tax time is renowned for being busy. Everyone wants to treat themselves when they have a little extra money in their pocket.

Valentine’s Day can be a tough night to work, as can Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, but the weeks leading up to Christmas are often busy for many.

Sure, it might have something to do with everyone feeling particularly mischievous and merry after their office Christmas parties have wound up but I think there’s something else to it as well.

In the midst of the hustle, bustle and commercialism of the Christmas period, people are seeking a connection.

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I’m exceptionally lucky to have a loving family with whom I spend Christmas every year.

The only awkward moment that has ever arisen around the matter of my job was when my mother took me aside before a Christmas party one year and told me that she had been a little dishonest with the extended family about what I actually do for a living.

Instead of telling them that I happily worked in the adult industry, she had told them that I was a personal assistant to a wealthy businessman who owned many companies, some of which were brothels.

I was happy to go along with the lie if she found it necessary, but I did point out that she had made it sound like I was involved with some kind of suspicious mob activity.

Not everyone can go home to a warm, lively house at Christmas. Some are working away from family, some have no family left and others have no desire to reach out to their relatives. Some do see family, but it’s an event filled with tension and stress instead of laughter and happiness and it’s times like these that I feel glad that I — and other sex workers — can provide an escape for those who need it during the holiday period.

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I’ve said it a lot, but as much as sex workers do allow people to explore and indulge their sexuality, we also create spaces in which our clients can feel safe, free from judgment and a little less alone.

In the lead-up to Christmas, I’ve spent time talking with plenty of clients who weren’t visiting to satisfy a physical urge but simply wanted to be heard or held. Some wanted to rant about their jobs, others needed to talk about their family life and many just wanted to forget that the outside world existed for an hour or two.

Of course, it’s not just clients who turn to sex workers at Christmas. It’s often other workers as well, whose relationships with their families may be strained or non-existent because of the stigma around their chosen jobs.

The sense of community around sex work feels incredibly strong at this time of year; workers reaching out to other workers to make sure they have somewhere to spend the holidays if they want it, a place at the table and a plate of Christmas lunch with all the trimmings.

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Sex workers go to great lengths to make their clients feel comfortable and unjudged, so it feels particularly unfair that we tend to be judged so severely by others.

Not everyone has to want to visit a sex worker or even like the sound of what we do, but it’s disappointing to reach the end of another year and realise that our list of wants and needs is the same as so many years past; less stigma around our work, safer and more supportive working spaces, and decriminalisation of the industry that many of us spend our lives working to improve.

I like knowing that I make my clients’ lives better and brighter, at least for a little while. It makes me happy to know that I can send them back off to work or home to their family with some of the stress and tension of the holidays lifted.

Despite the stress and stigma that comes with working in this industry, it’s the job I love — and I wouldn’t trade it for any other.

— Kate Iselin is a writer and sex worker. Continue the conversation @kateiselin