Researchers Discover Christmas Spirit Is a Real Thing in Your Brain

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All those Whos down in Whoville had something weird going on with their brains. That is, according to a new study, which found scientific evidence of the "Christmas spirit" in the brain.

In a recent study published with a whole lot of tongue-in-cheek, researchers from Copenhagen, a pretty cheery place in general, looked for evidence of holiday cheer in the brain using an MRI scan. The study itself was of who-like proportions, meaning, really, really tiny. They only scanned the brains of 10 people with Christmas traditions and 10 people without Christmas traditions.

The results showed unique brain activity in those who celebrated Christmas when they were shown Christmas-themed images. Therefore, researchers concluded that there is in fact a "Christmas spirit network" in the brain that lights up like Clark Griswold's house about Christmasy stuff. However, researchers also warned that, "Although merry and intriguing, these findings should be interpreted with caution," which is hilarious.

Hopefully future studies will finally determine if Christmas cheer is actually spread through singing loud for all to hear. You know, for science.

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Kara King is a News Writer at Thrillist and loves a good Christmas caroling sesh. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow her at @karatillie.