You’re not imagining it, Christmas really does seem to come faster every year – now scientists know why

CHRISTMAS really does seem to come faster every year – and scientists finally know why.

People who get excited about the festive season and those who forget to make plans are more likely to feel like it comes quicker, experts say.

If you have a busy social life, you’re also more likely to find that December 25th arrived quickly, the study found.

Researchers in the UK and Iraq talked to people about the start of Christmas or Ramadan.

They found that excitement or anticipation can make time seem to fly by.

The team suggests that their findings could mean that someone’s experience of time is shaped not just by what they have done, but by what they have left to do.

The study, published in the journal PLOS Onewas led by Professor Ruth Ogden of Liverpool John Moores University and Dr Saad Sabet Alatrany of Imam Ja’afar Al-Sadiq University.

Prof Ogden said: “[The statement] ‘Christmas seems to come quicker every year’ is a staple of small talk.

“But the feeling that a holiday is coming faster can also mean that someone’s sense of time is slightly distorted.”

To find out how often people experience the phenomenon and what shapes their perception of time, researchers surveyed more than 1,000 people in the United Kingdom and more than 600 people in Iraq.

They asked participants whether they believed Christmas or Ramadan came more quickly each year and measured memory function and attention to time, as well as asking about age, gender and social life.

Researchers found that 76 percent of people in the UK feel that Christmas comes faster each year, and 70 percent of people in Iraq feel the same about Ramadan.

Professor Ogden said: “In both cases, people were more likely to report this perceived speed-up if they enjoyed their holidays, and also for UK participants if they reported better social lives.

“This confirms previous suggestions that isolation contributes to a slower passage of time.

“In both Iraq and the UK, people were more likely to feel like the holidays were coming sooner if they thought about the passage of time more frequently and if they were prone to possible memory errors – such as forgetting to do a planned task .

“Perhaps surprisingly, age did not play a role in perception.”

Specifically for Ramadan, women were more likely to report that they felt it arrived more quickly each year.

Professor Ogden added: “These findings show that although the feeling that annual events occur more quickly each year is anecdotal, it is predicted by established psychological constructs.

“While Ramadan and Christmas are very different holidays, and perceptions of time can certainly be influenced by marketing and other factors, our experience of time can be shaped as much by our attention to its passing as by our plans for the future.

“The results of this study suggest that the sensation is not limited to a single culture or event.

“The findings are also consistent with previous studies demonstrating that positive emotion is associated with a faster passage of time.”