These are the 7 types of people you can expect to see around the dinner table this Christmas
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Psychologist Judi James has unveiled the common Christmas personality types found among the British public, which also includes ‘diplomat’, ‘picky’, ‘stressy’, and 'excited'.
The full list below covers all character types usually found around the table, which also appear in a quiz to determine your own type.
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Hide Ad• Generous – spoils everyone with gifts, food, drinks and attention
• Chatter – can’t stop talking and great in conversation
• Diplomat - the one diffusing rows and friction
• Stressy - those who set the highest goals in terms of present-buying, food-providing and party organizing and just can’t relax
• Grinch – tuts, grumps and moans their way through the day
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Hide Ad• Picky - can spoil a meal for everyone else who might have been looking forward to those sprouts
• Excited – loves the whole day and can’t calm down
A study of 2,000 adults found 15 per cent of adults admit to being 'stressy' - based on their tendency to worry about making this year a Christmas for all to enjoy.
The study intended to lift the lid on the most common tendencies amongst us during the festive season, in order to better understand our similarities and differences.
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Hide AdBut just six per cent of Brits admitted to being the ‘Grinch’ - someone who lacks the Christmas spirit and is just a general grump on one of the most cheerful days of the year.
Commenting on the findings from Green Chef, which commissioned the research, author and body language analyst Judi James said: "The Grinch is the one shushing everyone during the Queen’s speech and tutting when the children get over-excited and noisy.
"They’re the first to complain if they don’t get an invite but also the first to start moaning when they do arrive.
“Whereas the chatter dreads a gap in conversation, seeing any moment of silence as a form of social disaster.
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Hide Ad“And then there is the ‘generous one’ who is always buying the most lavish gifts and supplying enough food and drink to get the guests, but it could actually signal inner low self-esteem.”
Trying to please everyone can be stressful
Alongside ‘The Grinch’, ‘the picky one’ can likewise be just as hard to please.
As so many have different tastes and food preferences, getting it right for everyone can be a great source of worry and tension.
With family and friends spending more time together than usual, 32 per cent said it is likely something they will say this Christmas will offend the people they are with.
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Hide AdDespite nearly a third admitting they could say something controversial, 40 per cent said they had not argued over a personality clash over the past 10 Christmas days.
Although, as many as 47 per cent don’t mind how many personality clashes there are at Christmas, as long as the food is good.
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Different attitudes for different generations
The research, carried out by OnePoll on behalf of Green Chef, also shows 22 percent of men see themselves as ‘The diplomat’, while that figure drops to just 15 percent of women.
And women are more likely to see themselves as ‘the excited one’ – someone who is optimistic and deeply sociable – compared to their male counterparts.
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Hide AdThere’s a generational gap which appears too, with half of all over 65s saying spending time with family is the best part about Christmas.
This figure drops to just 28 per cent in those aged 25 to 34, and to just 22 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds.
Anna Tebbs, Green Chef’s head chef and nutritionist, added: "Christmas can be a fraught time of year, with so much to think about from who you’re seeing and what to talk about, to what food you’re cooking, and how to cater to different tastes.
“‘The Grinch’ and ‘the picky one’ are the most likely characters to be hard to please, whilst ‘the excited’ and ‘the generous’ types are your best bet for a helping hand in the kitchen.
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Hide Ad“With so many different personality types at the Christmas table, all with their own tastes and preferences, thinking about the food (which many agree is the best part of the festive season) can be a daunting task.
“Over the year, we’ve seen a real mix in uptake across our five diet preferences.
"Everyone has their individual preferences - whether that’s eating plant-based or following a specialist diet - which is exactly why we offer such a wide variety of choices to help people meet their personal healthy goals.”
And anyone lacking food inspiration this year can explore some of Green Chef’s recipes here.