Relationship

Couples who watch Christmas movies together are happier

By Wieke Veenboer | #!31Sun, 24 Dec 2023 08:30:10 +0100+01:001031#31Sun, 24 Dec 2023 08:30:10 +0100+01:00-8Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331 24am31am-31Sun, 24 Dec 2023 08:30:10 +0100+01:008Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam2023312023Sun, 24 Dec 2023 08:30:10 +01003083012amSunday=9#!31Sun, 24 Dec 2023 08:30:10 +0100+01:00Europe/Amsterdam12#12-24-2023#!31Sun, 24 Dec 2023 08:30:10 +0100+01:001031#/31Sun, 24 Dec 2023 08:30:10 +0100+01:00-8Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331#!31Sun, 24 Dec 2023 08:30:10 +0100+01:00Europe/Amsterdam12#

That Christmas movies are very good for our health, we already knew that, and you can feel it in yourself. At least I do: it's wonderful to lie on the couch when the weather outside is bad and you're warm inside. Then also a bad Christmas movie where you don't have to think and you know it has a sappy happy ending and I'm satisfied. But I didn't know that this form of happiness is something you can — and actually should — share.

According to research, couples who watch Christmas movies together are the happiest of all. No Grinch to be found among all those couples.

That was the result of a study at the University of Rochester and the University of California; they looked at 174 couples and divided them into two groups. You guessed it: one group watched Christmas movies together, the other group did not. They maintained this for three (!) years; quite a commitment to this research. After three years, they looked at which couples were still together and happy, and which couples were less happy in their relationship or had even broken up.

Well, that was clearly obvious: the group that watched Christmas movies together was both more together and happier.

What is the reason for that? According to psychologists, it is very important to discuss the movie while watching it. So if you both prefer complete silence, this may not apply to you. It actually strengthens your bond when you discuss what happens during the movie, what you think of the characters, and the storylines. This way, you also get to know each other better, as your norms and values come to the forefront when you discuss what you find unacceptable (and what is acceptable) during such a movie.

Love Actually is, in my opinion, a very good one to test this with: so much happens in it, from cheating to love declarations to partners of best friends... I can well imagine that you can talk about that with your partner for a long time.

And it is definitely worth it, because couples who went through a rough patch and then started watching Christmas movies together had a better chance of staying together. The chance decreased from 24 percent that they would break up to 11 percent. Well, if science says so... Then let's have a movie marathon.