12 Days of Dangerous Christmas. Do the benefits of Christmas outweigh its harms? – Experts investigate festive health risks
Are there really 12 Days of Dangerous Christmas? Apparently, yes. The Christmas season is associated with preventable harms from cards, tree decorations, and presents, as well as overeating and overdrinking,
In the Christmas issue of The Medical Journal BMJ, Robin Ferner and Jeffrey Aronson dug out some cautionary tales from the archives.
Here are the 12 Days of Dangerous Christmas. Yikes!
12th Day of Christmas
Christmas cards can be a potential source of harm. In 1876 a young man developed arsenic poisoning after painting festive cards with the highly toxic Scheele’s Green paint.
11th Day of Christmas
More recently, a woman amputated her finger tip while posting Christmas cards through the spring-loaded flap of a letter box.
10th Day of Christmas
Injuries from falls while decking the house with Christmas lights are common – and a reminder not to get on ladders – they may tip when you’re tipsy.
9th Day of Christmas
Christmas presents pose unforeseen dangers too, they add – for example, a pet hamster spread lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.
8th Day of Christmas
A present …Haitian bongo drums … carried anthrax bacilli in their goatskin hides.
7th Day of Christmas
Items swallowed unintentionally can also pose problems. Bulbs from Christmas lights, and sharp pointed confetti stars have been accidentally swallowed.
6th Day of Christmas
Christmas tree shaped decorations, have all found their way down toddlers’ throats and have had to be removed.
5th Day of Christmas
Excessive eating and drinking too much alcohol can not only increase waistlines, but also trigger outbreaks of gastroenteritis and salmonella infection and cause heart complaints (“holiday heart syndrome”).
4th Day of Christmas
Burns from candles are also common (at least in Bern, Switzerland, where it is customary to light candles on Christmas trees).
3rd Day of Christmas
Christmas trees, too, can bring pain as well as pleasure. Pine needles can penetrate the lungs, causing breathing difficulties,
2nd Day of Christmas
Pine tree branches can poke you in the eye, causing corneal abrasion.
First Day of Christmas
Finally, some people take advantage of the Christmas holidays to enjoy outdoor pursuits, at least in warmer climes. In Australia, Christmas brings an increase in catastrophic injuries from jet skiing.
So is it worth it, ask the authors? In 2002, researchers analysed the cost effectiveness of Christmas and concluded that “Christmas is not cost effective.”
But cost effectiveness is not everything, they say. “Most of our sources are anecdotal, and we did not find strong evidence of widespread adverse effects. So we will leave you to decide whether the benefits of Christmas outweigh its harms. Stay safe, keep calm, carry on, and enjoy a very Merry Christmas!”
The 12 Days of Dangerous Christmas might not be for you. Like positive Irish Christmas ideas? Then check this out.
