COVER STORY

not pass as normal during the pandemic.

While Christmas does not cause the same level of disruption as a global pandemic, it disrupts our habits.

Another factor which may make us feel like Christmas is here too fast is the amount of energy we put into anticipating it. For many children, Christmas is arguably the most eagerly awaited event of the year. Advent calendars count down the days until Father Christmas arrives. All this excitement means children pay a lot of attention to the passage of time in the run up to Christmas. Unfortunately for them, focusing on the passage of time typically makes it drag.

For most adults, Christmas is less thrilling. So adults probably think less about the countdown. Paying less attention to time makes it pass more quickly. The effect may have been particularly pronounced this year because, in the post-pandemic normality, life is busier than ever and we have even less time to think about

Christmas. Technological change also affects our perception of time. Advances in technology enable us to accomplish more tasks, more quickly, than ever before. This acceleration in the pace of life over the past 20 years may also contribute to the sensation that Christmas now comes around too soon.

Despite paying less attention to time, adults experience significantly more demands on their schedules than children in the run up to Christmas. For children, Christmas happens by magic. For adults however the festive mystique is replaced by large amounts of planning, shopping, wrapping and cooking. The added time pressure created by Christmas may contribute to time passing more quickly.

The lack of control children have over Christmas likely increases their level of temporal uncertainty. Not knowing when, or indeed if, something will happen can also slow the passage of time.

However, maybe we feel like Christmas