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It's all down to mood, apparently. Shutterstock

People are more interested in sex around Christmas (according to their web searches)

The analysis shows that people are in a better mood around the holidays.

NEW ANALYSIS OF of Google search terms and Twitter posts have shown that people seem to be happier and more interested in sex during Christmas and other holiday seasons.

The research looked at data from the Christian festival of Christmas and the Eid-al-Fitr celebration in largely Muslim countries.

Both periods showed a spike in online sex searches meaning that the similar interest is likely unrelated to geography and is influenced by other factors.

It has long been observed that birth rates in Christian countries peak in September and the rise of social media has now provided researches with a pool of data with which to analyse behaviour of people nine months previous.

A study of the data from nearly 130 countries was carried out by Indiana University and the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência in Portugal. It looked at Google search terms from 2004 to 2014 and 10% of public Twitter posts from late 2010 to early 2014.

“This study is the first ‘planetary-level’ look at human reproduction as it relates to people’s moods and interest in sex online,” according to Indiana University’s Luis M. Rocha.

The analysis revealed that interest in sex peaks significantly during major cultural or religious celebrations, based upon a greater use of the word “sex” or other sexual terms in web searches.

Furthermore, Eid-al-Fitr does not happen at the same time every year but the measured increase in birth rates nine months later was found to correspond with the changing dates.

“We didn’t see a reversal in birth rate or online interest in sex trends between the Northern and Southern hemispheres — and it didn’t seem to matter how far people lived from the equator,” Rocha said.

Rather, the study found culture, measured through online mood, to be the primary driver behind cyclic sexual and reproductive behavior in human populations.

In analysing the “online mood”, researchers looked at the content of Twitter posts and determined that people “appear to feel happier, safer and calmer during the holidays”.

It was also found that a similar spike in interests in sex did not occur during Easter or Thanksgiving.

“Perhaps people feel a greater motivation to grow their families during holidays when the emphasis is on love and gift-giving to children,” said Rocha said.

“The Christmas season is also associated with stories about the baby Jesus and holy family, which may put people in a loving, happy, ‘family mood.’”

 

Read: Student sex survey: 8% of women have had non-consensual sexual contact in the last year >

Read: India bans condom advertisements from prime time television >

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31 Comments
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    Mute Chamillionaire
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:38 PM

    Born in September ,well santa might be yer da then

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    Mute Liam
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:43 PM

    Or maybe people are more interested in sex because they have time off work…. thus have more time to do such activities…

    103
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    Mute John003
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:36 PM

    Don’t think there are such places as Christian countries….There are Muslim countries where Islam is upheld by thoes countries laws and everybody goes to the Mosque on Friday………Better term would be Western or secular countries….In London more people go to the mosque than regularly attend Church….Hardly call London a Christian city….

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    Mute Liam
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:42 PM

    @John003: I wouldn’t even call London an English city, but that might be racist, so I will desist from conserving our own culture, whilst trying to preserve the culture of the Kurds, Catalonians, Palestinians, Corsicans and Travellers.

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    Mute Angela O'Riordan
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:44 PM

    @Liam: Edgy.

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    Mute Julian Dowling
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    Dec 28th 2017, 12:12 AM

    @John003: There are still Christian countries out there. While In the Philippines it reminded me of the way my grandparents were. The way young Filipinos interact with the church was very interesting indeed, to put it simply, they have a very strong belief in God. Other examples where I saw this was in some African countries, most notably Kenya. I also saw this in some South America countries such as Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Even in Eastern Europe countries such as Poland are strongly Catholic Christian or Romania, Russia where they are Orthodox Christian.

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    Mute niall
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    Dec 27th 2017, 7:16 PM

    Santy can’t be the only lad to empty his sac at Christmas.

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    Mute Emilio Butler
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    Dec 27th 2017, 10:39 PM

    @niall: best comment in this section by far.

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    Mute Number 21
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:35 PM

    I object to your sexualisation of women by having those sexy legs and nice arse in your picture.

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    Mute Chamillionaire
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:39 PM

    @Number 21: that’s a dude in the pic

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    Mute Number 21
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:41 PM

    @Chamillionaire: Meh

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    Mute Number 21
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:49 PM

    @Chamillionaire: Savage arse on yer man

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    Mute Presuming Ed
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    Dec 27th 2017, 7:54 PM

    @Number 21: he must work out…

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    Mute Carlos André
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:43 PM

    For me is Christmas every day.

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    Mute dick dastardly
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    Dec 27th 2017, 8:02 PM

    Key to a happy man.keep his belly full and his sack empty

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    Mute Turk Oneeighttwo
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    Dec 27th 2017, 8:44 PM

    @dick dastardly: You’re some head Dick

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    Mute dick dastardly
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    Dec 28th 2017, 10:23 AM

    @Turk Oneeighttwo: why thank you,thank you very much

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    Mute Free comment ratings
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    Dec 27th 2017, 7:42 PM

    I did watch a lot of porn the last few days.

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    Mute Sam Cairns
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:35 PM

    “Beer Goggles”

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    Mute JJ
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    Dec 27th 2017, 6:51 PM

    And they’ll be killing each other in January again

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    Mute Angela Twohig
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    Dec 27th 2017, 10:10 PM

    This is why midwifes dread September…busiest month in the calendar

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    Mute Garreth Byrne
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    Dec 27th 2017, 8:58 PM

    I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
    Wow, mommy’s kissing Santa Claus
    I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
    Underneath the mistletoe last night
    She didn’t see me creep
    Down the stairs to have a peep
    She thought that I was tucked up
    In my bedroom, fast asleep
    (The Jackson 5)
    etc. https://www.google.ie/search?q=i+saw+mommy+kissing+santa+claus+lyrics&rlz=1C1CHHM_enIE748IE748&oq=i+saw+momma+kissing+santa+claus&aqs=chro

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    Mute Paul Coughlan
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    Dec 27th 2017, 11:42 PM

    What are the statistics for the rest of the year. Such as holiday periods Easter the harvest time. All happy care free times of the year. Did you interview Dublin supporters over the last five years when hormones and testosterone levels were high due to victories.

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    Mute Keith Flood
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    Dec 27th 2017, 9:04 PM

    Or people are buckled and will shag anything

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