Couples are more likely to fall out on Christmas Day than any other day of the year, particularly if the in-laws pay a visit.
That's according to marriage counsellors who have identified December 25 as the "tipping point" for many bickering couples.
Therapists have already noted a seasonal surge in couples looking for advice on how to get through Christmas without breaking up.
And they have warned the stress of being forced to sit down for Christmas dinner with out-of-favour members of the extended family can prove to be the last straw for those in unhappy marriages.
Dublin-based therapist Wendy Quinn said: "If you're in a troubled relationship, then Christmas Day is the hardest day of the year, and the festive season is probably the worst period of the year.
"There's an expectation around Christmas that everyone should be happy, and everything should be wonderful. But in reality that's not the case for a lot of people, and if there is stress or problems in a relationship, then everything comes to a head at Christmas and the tensions can spill out.
"If members of the wider family are over, and you're sitting down to Christmas dinner with the dreaded in-laws who you haven't seen for ages, that can be a huge issue for people, and cause even more anxiety and tension."
Wendy, who also runs hypnotherapy sessions at her north Dublin clinic, said she expects to be up to 30 per cent busier than usual in January due to relationship issues over the Christmas period.
But she said couples can take sensible steps to ease the tension in their households, such as limiting the intake of alcohol over the festive season.
However, she acknowledged the added financial pressures many families are facing this Christmas is likely to increase stress, and fuel more rows and in households across the country.
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