The Spirit of Christmas
- Varun Kheria
- Dec 20, 2023
- 3 min read
What do you think of when you hear the word Christmas? Joy? Santa? Presents? Mariah Carey’s song - All I Want for Christmas Is You? Over the last few decades, Christmas has transcended its origins as a Christian holiday and has become a global phenomenon celebrated by people of various religions and nationalities. Christmas is no longer a single day marked on the calendar, rather, it has metamorphized into a celebratory spirit.
What if I told you that in 2015, neuroscientists conducted a study [1] with the aim to ‘detect and localize the Christmas spirit in the human brain’? They used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to do so. fMRI has been a vital tool in neuropsychological research since its introduction in the early 1990s, helping to pinpoint affective and functional areas of the human brain. Emotions, including happiness, grief, and disgust, have been shown to engage specific areas of the brain [2]. To see if the spirit of Christmas corresponds to a particular region of the brain, the scientists compared a group of individuals who had been celebrating Christmas since childhood and a group that didn’t celebrate . Their brains were scanned when viewing Christmas-themed and ordinary images, , and differences in brain activity were examined.
They identified that the "Christmas spirit network" includes several cortical areas. This network shows a significantly higher activation in people who celebrate Christmas with positive associations compared to those who have no Christmas traditions and neutral associations. While this was a very preliminary study, and is not necessarily specific to just Christmas, it gives us an insight into how our brains might process holidays and traditions in general. The regions of the brain which showed higher activity were the sensory motor cortex, the premotor and primary motor cortex, and the parietal lobule. These are the same parts of the brain which are associated with spirituality, somatic senses, and recognition of facial emotion, amongst other functions.
This doesn’t mean that those are the only parts of our brain affected though. The Christmas season triggers a delightful cascade of neurotransmitters in the brain. Dopamine, also known as the "reward chemical," is released when you open a gift, bite into a delicious cookie, or share a laugh with loved ones. Oxytocin, the "love hormone," floods your system during hugs, warm embraces, and acts of generosity. Serotonin, the "feel-good" chemical, increases as you bask in the festive atmosphere and reflect on cherished memories. This chemical cocktail concocts a potent brew of happiness, making Christmas a time of emotional abundance.
There’s always a lot going on during Christmas. It's a holiday with several traditions, some of which are widely celebrated and some of which can be very personal.
Older more conventional traditions like putting up a Christmas tree, decorating it with your family, having a star placed on top of the tree, leaving out milk and cookies for Santa, waking up to presents from Santa under the tree on Christmas morning, and so on are deeply rooted in many cultures. Relatively newer traditions like wearing ugly Christmas sweaters, setting up a Secret Santa gift exchange amongst your friends, and watching Christmas films like Elf (2003) or Home Alone (1990) have also quickly gained a special place for many of us.
While fMRI scans can pinpoint where in our brains the Christmas spirit resides, its true essence lies not in passive observation but in active participation. This Christmas let’s embrace the kaleidoscope of customs, both new and old, around us. Perhaps that unfamiliar dish on your neighbour's table holds a story waiting to be shared. Maybe the melody of a new carol could become your new yearly jam. You could even start your own Christmas tradition – a snowflake dancing in the winter sky surrounded by millions of other distinct ones, but beautiful, nonetheless.
As 2023 is coming to an end I can’t help but reminisce about the year that just went by. I had to deal with a lot of changes (some pleasant, some not so much) in both my personal and professional life. I graduated, got my first job, moved to a new city, all in the span of what seems like a jiffy. What really helped me cope with these changes were my chosen family and art.
Learning about neuroaesthetics and how art truly affects us has been a magical experience, and I’m glad I get to share this journey with you. Thank you for reading Aesthetic Alchemy. Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
- Varun Kheria, Science Communicator, ARISA Foundation
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