Great expectations

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so keep your stresses at bay.

- MARC WILSON

Christmas is just around the corner. How does that make you feel? When I asked 800 people that question in September, 70% said they love Christmas. But six out of 10 of those folk qualified their love with "but it's stressful". Those who don't celebrate Christmas numbered 8% and a tear-jerking 22% said they "don't look forward to Christmas at all".

You'll have your own answers to the next question - why do people either not like Christmas or find that stress takes the fake snow veneer off it? Before I asked the question I did homework on common sources of Christmas-related stress. I found straw polls run by banks, focus groups conducted by supermarkets, a lot of popular wisdom, and even some peer-reviewed research.

I collated their answers and laid them like a slice of turkey in front of participants.