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How couples can avoid Christmas arguments
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Couples will often have arguments on or around Christmas time, and most of those arguments are related to the holiday. Here's how they can beat it. - photo by Herb Scribner
A couple in England could use some holiday cheer after a husband trolled his wife by hanging a tree-shaped air freshener on the wall after she asked him to put up the Christmas tree, according to Daily Mail.

The wife, 34-year-old Becky Wharton, was less than enthused.

"Ste thought it [would] be a good idea to put our Xmas tree up whilst I was at work... two words... not funny!" she said, according to Daily Mail. "Hes such a plonker, he thought it was hilarious. He'd put loads of effort in and wrapped all the presents and put them in place. The kids were already home from school so they were laughing too."

The couple put up their tree two days later, which they said they were glad to do because the air freshener smell had dominated the room, Daily Mail reported.

But this isnt the first couple to argue during Christmastime. In a survey of its listeners, the Dublin radio station 98-FM found that couples often argue during the holidays over the price of the presents they receive, having little money to go Christmas shopping or even playing too much Christmas music.

In fact, calls to marriage counselors increase by more than half after Christmas and New Year's, especially because Christmas creates high expectations for couples and creates pressure for partners, according to the Daily Mail. About 40 percent blame their troubles on money issues, Daily Mail reported.

"Some couples and families will have had a 'really difficult time' over the festive period, with so much expectation to have a great Christmas, and for some people issues 'add up and become this big pressure cooker that just explodes,'" Daily Mail reported.

This is on top of the fact that couples often deal with the stresses of meeting each others families or figuring out where they are going to spend the holidays. Interestingly, reports find that most Christmas Day arguments come at 10:13 a.m., according to The Telegraph.

Married partners and families in general often argue on Christmas because everyone is hoping for a perfect holiday, though their idea of perfection is different, according to The Telegraphs Judith Woods.

All family members have different traditions and holiday ideals they want to celebrate, which make the holiday difficult to handle.

"In truth, Christmas isn't so much a day as a state of mind, a stage set on which we play out our dreams of perfection. The only trouble is, each family member is working from a different script," Woods wrote.

Though theres no perfect way to avoid Christmas arguments, The Independent suggests that couples talk to each other before the holiday about their pressure points, so they avoid any tough areas or argument-inspiring discussions.

Partners would also do well to watch out for dangerous conversation topics between their spouse and family, The Independent explained.

Sharon Rivkin, M.A., wrote for Hitched magazine that couples should talk about their problems as soon as possible, even if that means arguing on Christmas Day.

Some couples will find benefits from calling a truce, while others may choose to fake happiness until after the holiday. Rivkin says its best not to fake happiness. Rather, resolve issues quickly because couples deserve a happy Christmas together.

"How we resolve our arguments is a barometer that indicates the health of our marriages," Rivkin wrote. "Make resolving your arguments a priority in your marriage so that youll never have another morning after.'"
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