Do you ever lay awake at night and wonder: what day of the year am I most likely to die of natural causes?
Same.
Well, we have the answer. And it’s more gloomy than we expected.
According to research, people are most likely to die of natural causes on January 1.
A group of sociologists, led by Professor David Phillips at the University of California, studied tens of millions of death certificates over 25 years, and found a rise in death rates on Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.
While it seems pretty intuitive that death rates are quite high around this period (it’s well-documented that accidental deaths from things like substance abuse and drink driving are more common during the holidays), this research actually demonstrated a spike in deaths from natural causes.
Why?
Does the stress of planning Christmas wreak havoc on peoples bodies? Can horrendous relatives literally give you a heart attack? Is it something to do with... The weather? Pollution? WHY?!
According to Phillips, the reason for this sharp spike in death rates remains somewhat a "mystery".
"It's not only a mystery, but a mystery that people haven't even tried to engage with," he says.
Yes, well, sorry, but trying to work out why so many people die on one day of the year isn't my idea of fun.
Although, some people enjoy talking about death in their spare time. Post continues after video.
Nonetheless, Phillips does have some compelling theories for the fascinating statistics.
He says that most people who die on these days die in emergency rooms, and that could be the clue to why the rates are so high.
"People postpone going into the ER around the holidays because they want to be with their family," he explains.
While certain symptoms might usually give people cause to seek help immediately, the busyness and chaos of the Christmas and New Year period might distract them, causing them to ignore important signs for longer than normal.
"In the case of some serious illnesses, that's a very foolish thing to do," Phillips says.
Of course, hospitals are often also less staffed on holidays, so people might have to wait longer to be attended to on New Year's Day than other days of the year.
So, if you're anything like me and spend your time stressing about things you have no control over, remember this information on New Year's Eve. Because, y'know, there's nothing like a sickening reminder of your own mortality to snap you out of the party mood.