We are definitely influenced by the holiday season each year again and again, both positively and negatively. Everything is a bit different around us, and Christmas just has this specific vibe, whether we like it or not. Some people turn into sour and annoyed “grinches,” whereas others might be more relaxed and cheerful. But what are the mechanisms behind this?
First, scientists identified a link between happy feelings and the precuneus region of the brain, which is known to be involved in various complex functions, such as memory and recollection. We can easily make the connection that happiness, which stems from holiday celebrations, is going to have a connection to the same part of the brain.
Later, the studies focused on the concept of a “Christmas brain” directly. As expected, you have two main reaction mechanisms to the holiday times-happiness and stress. So when you see someone be a bit of a grinch, don’t be mad; it is their neurological reaction to what we sense around this time, and they likely have spikes of stress hormones like adrenaline or cortisol. The higher levels of these hormones can easily impair our brain function.
On the other hand, positivity is not lost around Christmas either. Scientific research has shown there is a “Christmas spirit network” in the human brain, which comprises several cortical areas. This has been looked at with the help of MRI technology (magnetic resonance imaging), which has shown clusters of increased BOLD (blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal) activation in the sensory-motor cortex, the premotor and primary motor cortex, and the parietal lobule (inferior and superior), all areas associated with spirituality, somatic senses, and recognition of facial emotion (besides other functions).
So when you see someone react to this holiday season differently than you or your friends do, remember they aren’t weird, they just have different neurological processes in their brain, so appreciate the science and just wish them Merry Christmas.
Resources:
Sato, W., Kochiyama, T., Uono, S., et al. (2015) The structural neural substrate of subjective happiness
Hougaard A, Lindberg U, Arngrim N, Larsson H B W, Olesen J, Amin F M, et al. (2015) Evidence of a Christmas spirit network in the brain: functional MRI study
Christmas Brain: The Science Behind Christmas Cheer
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