Christmas only comes once a year but many of us find our lives taken over by it. For some of us the meaning of Christmas is nothing more than stress, hassle and headaches.

We wanted to explore what causes some people to have a happier Christmas than others and so set some questions to the OPP research panel*.  We discovered that, although personality type did not have a huge bearing on how much you enjoy Christmas, there are some key factors that contribute to a happy Christmas.

The people  who believe they will enjoy Christmas are more likely to: 

●  mention family, togetherness and friends as part of the meaning of Christmas

●  have already finished the Christmas shopping

●  have bought cards where the income goes to charity

●  have a display of Christmas cards and “natural” decorations

● have too much too eat, get a little tipsy and go for a walk – and are less likely to go to bed early on Christmas day

●  be involved with cooking the Christmas dinner.

So, do you agree? Is spending the day with your family and helping peel the sprouts your idea of an enjoyable Christmas or can you think of nothing worse? How do you spend 25th and do you think your personality type reflects this? 

Does the site of twinkling Christmas lights fill you with festive cheer or do you find your-self uttering bah-humbug every time December comes around?

We all take a different approach when it comes to festive season, but what makes some people act more like Scrooge than Santa? We put a short survey to the OPP Research Panel* to find out how personality can affect the way you behave at Christmas.

1. Introverts choose cards based on their message.

79% of the group said they send Christmas cards but we found that Introverts were more likely than Extraverts to choose a card based on the message inside and whether some of the money went to charity. We also found that those with a more practical thinking style and who are more tough-minded on the Persona Chart are more likely to choose cards based on cost.

2. People who are more flexible will still be shopping on Christmas eve.

When it comes to buying presents we found that people who are more structured are more likely to finish their Christmas shopping earlier. On the other hand those who are likely to be on the flexible side of the scale said they expected to still be shopping on Christmas Eve.

3. Introverts are more likely to kiss under the mistletoe.

As you might guess, Extraverts expect to attend more Christmas parties than Introverts, with most people attending 2 or 3 Christmas parties in total. Although they may not go out as much, we found that Introverts are more likely to have kiss under the mistletoe! Worth bearing in mind if your crush is the quiet, reflective type.

4. Tough-minded people would rather receive money.

It appears that personality does not have a huge bearing on the type of gift people want and we received a wide variety of answers to this question. However, it did appear that those who would prefer to receive money were more tough-minded on the Persona Chart.

5. If you watch the Queen’s Speech you are likely to be an Extravert.

We asked the panel what they do on Christmas day itself. Top activities included exchanging gifts, eating too much, and watching TV. People whose results sit closer to the structured end of the Persona Chart are more likely to be to have family and friends over to theirs on the 25^th while people who watch the Queen’s Speech are more likely to be Extraverted.

So how does this compare to your personality? Are you an extravert who loves the Queen or perhaps you know an introvert who always hovers round the mistletoe? Let us know your thoughts.