Thaindian News

London, Dec 17 (ANI): The holiday season is all about cheers and goodwill, but reality fails to meet expectations when tempers boil over and families end up having a spat over Christmas.

A research for cruise company Ocean Village has shown that on Dec 25 most family rows are likely to kick off, and that the main culprits are unrealistic hopes, overspending and intolerance.

A lack of planning and last minute shopping adds to the stress, with men reaching their boiling point at 11am and women following nine hours later.

However, the good news is that scientists have come up with a formula for working out these familys issues, reports The Sun.

The formula facilitates a person to work out the risk of the family having a fight using the formula: (D + N + U + L + A)/ S.

Then award the family marks in the following categories, and compare result with the table at the end.

D stands for Dullness: One of the big problems at Christmas is that everyone is expecting to have fun but often families end up sitting round the telly bored out of their minds.

5pts: Everybody unwraps presents and have Christmas dinner but nothing else is planned.

4pts: The only extra activity they will do is visit friends or relatives on a day thats been agreed.

3pts: There will be a visit and people might get out the Monopoly set but thats about it.

2pts: They have plenty to do most of the time but there are bound to be the odd quiet periods.

1pt: Every day will be full of games, walks, visits and other fun.

N stands for Numbers. How many extra people will there be? People who live together all year round are used to each other.

Extra people, even if they are family or close friends, add strain.

Score one point for each extra person in the house.

U stands for any Unwanted or inappropriate presents. Score one point for each gift anyone receives that clearly causes offence.

This is easy for kids if they glare on unwrapping something, thats a point.

With adults, common sense should be used. If Dad gets a pack of cigars after giving up smoking a son or a daughter can be pretty sure he wont be happy.

And if Mums main present turns out to be a vacuum cleaner, score one point.

L stands for how late Christmas dinner is served.

Score one point for every ten minutes later than usual the meal starts.

A is for the Anticlimax that inevitably settles in after presents have been opened and dinner eaten.

Score one point for every day after Christmas until everyone is back in their normal routine.

S is for how well your family Shares the workload.

1pt: Mum does all of the cooking and cleaning as usual.

2pts: Mum does nearly everything but Dad grudgingly helps with the washing up.

3pts: Mum and Dad share the work.

4pts: The kids help even if it does mean everything takes twice as long.

5pts: Everyone has a task and all goes like clockwork.

Now use the formula and you get the approximate date of when youre likely to have that row.

25pts or more: Christmas Day, and the higher the score, the earlier in the day
23-24pts: Boxing Day morning
21-22pts: Boxing Day afternoon
20pts: Boxing Day evening
18-19pts: December 27 morning
16-17pts: December 27 afternoon
15pts: December 27 evening
13-14pts: December 28 morning
11-12pts: December 28 afternoon
10pts: December 29 evening
8-9pts: December 30 morning
6-7pts: December 30 afternoon
5pts: December 30 evening
3-4pts: New Years Eve
2pts: New Years Day
1pt: You never row (ANI)