00:00For many households, Christmas is wrapped up in memories, traditions passed down, familiar routines and a sense of comfort that's hard to replicate at other times of the year.
00:11But this year, that magic feels slightly muted for some.
00:15Positive psychology consultant Casey Paul says wider anxiety is playing a role, pointing to global conflict, political uncertainty, job insecurity and personal loss as factors that can overshadow festive joy.
00:30And in our research this year, we do it every year at Good Housekeeping.
00:33We did find a little bit of a shift in that the generation of women, and it does tend to be the women who kind of run Christmas in their houses, that are in charge of the planning for the big festivities.
00:47They absolutely love Christmas. Christmas is every bit as important as it ever was.
00:52But there is a much greater acceptance that there is no such thing as the perfect Christmas.
00:57So that idea of the Instagram perfect, beautifully curated, colour-coordinated tree where everyone's smiling and happy, I think we're old enough and wise enough now to know that that's not really the reality.
01:08Life coach Mayari Todd also highlights the cost of living crisis, saying financial pressure affects not just spending, but how safe and carefree people feel during the season.
01:22While not feeling festive isn't a failure, experts say it's worth recognising what Christmas represents beyond presence and perfection.
01:31And I think that's really freeing for everybody because your tree doesn't match, it's chaos, there's weird old baubles that your kid made when they were four that have all fallen to pieces, but they're emotionally important to you.
01:42And the idea that Christmas can sometimes be a little bit of a sad time, it's bittersweet.
01:47It's a time when you miss people that aren't around anymore. It can be difficult for families, you know, broken families and mixed and blended families.
01:55I think there's a much greater willingness to accept that Christmas can be magical and wonderful, as well as being quite difficult and quite challenging.
02:03And I do think that sense that a secular Christmas, because church isn't part of a lot of people's Christmases anymore, going to church in the way that it once was.
02:11But a secular Christmas can still be one that is full of meaning and great emotions and a reflective time too.
02:20The message isn't to force Tria, but to protect moments of meaning, whether that's familiar traditions, time with others or simply slowing down.
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