Trim your trees, put up your lights and get out the turkey as soon as you can. The earlier you start preparing for a festival, the happier you’re going to be, according to research. It’s simply to do with the joy of anticipation. Looking forward to something is a powerful positive emotion that changes your brain chemistry faster.
Researchers Van Boven and Ashworth who write for the Journal of Experimental Psychology, a few years back proved that anticipation led to enormously strong feelings than looking back at memories. That gives you every reason to have an extended holiday, and since Christmas is two weeks away, let’s begin with that.
The revelry starts with Christmas markets. Each year, the city adds a new feather in its ever-growing celebratory hat, The Imperial’s Christmas market is the newest addition. The hotel that is otherwise quite uptight about who it lets in into its opulent precincts, has opened its first carnival to the public.
The lawns of 1911 will fill itself with zestful sights and pulsing sounds of buyers and sellers striking a deal. Handicrafts, souvenirs, apparels, jewellery and a lot more will be on offer, but not without the things that make Christmas such a rollicking fest — mulled wine, gingerbread with vanilla ice cream, plum cake, and puddings.
Since our brains eagerly look forward to future events, why not let the dopamine rush take over sooner rather than later?