Christmas Psychology

Here are some fun, science-based facts about the psychology of Christmas.

One study from Michigan showed that singing Christmas carols can increase our physical and psychological well-being, as well as increase social bonds between those that sing together. It also found that singing carols decreases stress and improvised group singing lead to an increase in oxytocin, a hormone that is linked to social bonding in humans.

Spending money on a gift for someone else can make you happier according to a 2008 study. Participants were asked to rate their happiness in the morning, then were given an envelope with money that they had to spend before 5:00 p.m. that day. They were randomly assigned to different spending groups like bills, expenses, buying something for themselves or buying a gift for someone else. At 5:00 p.m. they were asked again to rate their happiness. Those who bought a gift for someone else showed the greatest increase in happiness. So maybe money really can buy you happiness.

During the Christmas season, an increase in emotional stress and unhealthy life choices can affect our heart health. A 2016 study investigated whether Christmas was associated with increased heart failures. The authors analyzed patient admissions to Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia between 2003 and 2013. They found that Christmas was indeed linked to an increase in heart failures. Conclusions were made that over-eating, extra stress, less exercise and postponing medical appointments until after the holidays were all contributing factors to the increase in heart failure during the holiday season.

Christmas is usually a time of overindulgence and is often associated with weight gain. A study in 2000 showed that the Christmas season was to blame for an average weight gain of 1 to 2 pounds. A more recent study found that in 2016 weight gain during the holidays increased 1 to 2 pounds for participants that reside in the United States.

Early decorators rejoice! According to this article from 2017, decorating for the holidays makes you happier. In fact, Christmas decorating increases you feel-good hormone dopamine. Also, research has shown that people interpret Christmas decorations on a home to mean that the people who live there are very social, friendly and involved in their community.

Christmas joy is a real thing that is triggered by many factors. The main one is nostalgia. According to research, nostalgia makes us more optimistic about the future. The holiday season with it's specific scents, traditions and dedicated music is ripe with opportunities to feel nostalgic. Retail stores use this to boost their bottom line by cranking up the Christmas tunes and scenting the air with cozy scents like cinnamon. Certain scents have been shown to elicit an attraction effect while themed music has been found to impact mood.