Put down that carving knife! Christmas day stress peaks at 12.56pm - and it's down to turkey-related tension
- Half of Brits say preparing turkey and trimmings is most demanding task
- Average adult spends 4 hours 30 minutes cooking Christmas dinner
- One in ten amateur cooks spend six hours or more slaving over stove
- We first think about meal on December 14
- Then spend 14 hours worrying about it before preparations even start
The children have opened their presents, the turkey is in the oven and the chatty relatives are gathered in the lounge but as the clock strikes 12.56pm on Christmas Day, our stress levels peak.
The most stressful time on Christmas Day has been revealed as 12.56pm - just before lunch is served.
Almost half of Brits (47 per cent) say preparing the turkey, vegetables, and all the trimmings is the most demanding task they face on December 25.
Stress o'clock: A new study has revealed that 12.56pm is the most stressful time on Christmas Day - just before dinner is served
This is because of the difficulty of timing everything right (33 per cent), and coping with interfering relatives (16 per cent).
Others are stressed by the effort required to chop, peel, baste, and mix (15 per cent), and struggling to squeeze everything in the oven (32 per cent).
The pressure is heaped on by the amount of time put into making sure everything is perfect, found the new study.
The average adult spends four hours 30 minutes preparing and cooking Christmas dinner. This is only slightly less than the four hours 36 minutes spent chatting, playing games, and watching television with family.
Multitasking: Almost half of Brits say preparing the turkey, vegetables, and all the trimmings is the most demanding task they face on December 25
And it is significantly more than the 38 minutes dedicated to unwrapping presents, and one hour 39 minutes sat at the dinner table.
An eager one in ten amateur cooks spend six hours or more slaving over the stove, the poll of 2,000 people revealed.
Furthermore, we first think about the meal on December 14 and then spend 14 hours worrying about it before preparations even start.
The biggest annoyance with poorly made mains is cold food (27 per cent), watery gravy (26 per cent), and raw turkey (20 per cent). Tough meat also fails to impress.
Men typically cook their first Christmas dinner at a later age than women, starting at 27 rather than 25.
Was it worth it? An eager one in ten amateur cooks spend six hours or more slaving over the stove, the poll of 2,000 people revealed
They also admit they struggle to multitask, with 28 per cent saying it is what makes cooking stressful.
One in seven people aged 55 and over, and 38 per cent of all men have never cooked a Christmas dinner - and only 35 per cent of men have made a Christmas cake.
A spokesman from Magimix, who commissioned the survey, said: 'Christmas cooking is becoming a real source of stress for the nation, with 12.56pm the time we're tipping over the edge.
'It's understandable that people want the most important meal of the year to be perfect but many of us are putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves to impress family and friends.'
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