Christmas or Ramadan may appear to arrive faster each year for individuals who are more time-conscious, tend to forget their plans, and cherish the holiday season, as per a recent study. Researchers propose that this perception could indicate that one’s sense of time is influenced not just by past experiences but also by future expectations.
A study conducted by Ruth Ogden from Liverpool John Moores University, UK, and Saad Sabet Alatrany from Imam Ja’afar Al-Sadiq University, Iraq, and published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on July 10, 2024, revealed that Christmas or Ramadan may seem to come around quicker each year for those who are more attentive to time, prone to forget plans, and enjoy holiday festivities. This suggests that one’s perception of time may be influenced by both past occurrences and future prospects.
The common saying “Christmas seems to come sooner every year” hints at a distorted sense of time. To understand how prevalent this feeling is and what factors contribute to it, Ogden and her team surveyed over 1,000 individuals in the UK and more than 600 in Iraq. Participants were asked whether they believed Christmas or Ramadan arrived faster each year, their attention to time, memory capabilities, as well as demographic information like age, gender, and social interactions.
The results indicated that 76% of individuals in the UK perceived Christmas to approach quicker each year, while 70% in Iraq felt the same about Ramadan. Those who enjoyed the holidays were more likely to report this accelerated perception, along with UK participants who had better social lives. In both regions, people tended to feel that holidays arrived sooner if they frequently contemplated the passage of time and were prone to forgetting planned tasks, known as prospective memory errors. Interestingly, age did not seem to influence this perception.
Despite the distinct nature of Ramadan and Christmas, and the possible impact of marketing and other external influences, researchers theorize that our understanding of time could be influenced by our awareness of its passing and our aspirations for the future.
