Recognizable?
The end of the year is filled with festive dinners, cheerful parties, lots of fashion and glitter, and evenings full of love with your loved ones. But amid all that splendor and conviviality, we are often stressed out – what exactly should we eat? Who do we put where at the table? And can someone take care of the last minute shopping? Yet there appears to be one factor that causes us by far the most stress during the holidays, according to research by TK Maxx: the in-laws!
The arrival of the in-laws causes stress
It remains a bit of a cliché, but hey: friction with your parents-in-law is a known problem for many people. Although 76% indicate that being together is the most important thing during this period, more than a fifth of the Netherlands experiences the greatest stress because of this. The feeling of being one hundred percent yourself, having enough topics to talk about and buying the right gifts for the in-laws are the main reasons for this. Be honest: how many of these points do you recognize yourself in?
Choice and money stress
Buying gifts for loved ones is also seen as a stressful task (34%). High prices, lack of money and time are mentioned most often. Parents in particular who want to buy gifts for their children experience choice stress and often find the taste of their offspring on the expensive side.
Exquisite snacks
Another concern that emerged in the survey is the festive menu. Of course we all want to enjoy such a festive dinner, and if possible we do it in style. More than half of those surveyed told TK Maxx that they find the decoration important – and don’t blame them! With a stylish (and practical) tablecloth, a set of luxurious napkins and a beautiful candlestick on the table, you can take your Christmas dinner to the next level. However, decoration alone is not enough, of course. What is on our plate is, if possible, even more important, and that pressure is felt. For example, 28% of Dutch people indicate that they struggle with this.
One of the respondents said that it feels as if there are ‘increasingly higher culinary expectations’. No wonder, with the popularity of ‘foodstagrammers’ and endless culinary programs on TV. Getting everyone together around the gourmet set is an easy solution, but the bar is clearly high.
Festive year end
Fortunately, it turns out that despite all the stress, we still find plenty of happiness in the little things during the holidays. For example, 55% of respondents mention the tasty food, 41% get a lot of happiness from being together with the family, and the Christmas tree (24%), the presents (15%) and being able to give something back to someone else (14%) are also mentioned. ) mentioned as happiness makers.
So it turns out: (year) all’s well that ends well. The most wonderful time of the year obviously has that title for a reason!
Source: TK Maxx | Image: Adobe Stock
