In the USA the cultural atmosphere slows to a crawl between Christmas and New Years. I couldn’t care less about the holidays. I am curious if the slow down is entirely cultural, or if there is some kind of inherent coupling where we all naturally slow down with the longest winter nights, in places with significantly shorter daylight hours.
I’ve worked night shifts doing hard manual labor. I’m well aware humans can adapt to any rhythm when required. I’m curious about the effects on people that do not have such rigid lifestyles.
I’m in sourthen NZ and it’s business as usual, it’s just cold, dark, and miserable! Personally my life doesn’t change much, I just wear warmer clothes and complain about how the sun sets before I go to work.
The summer christmas break is when everything slows down and we all relax in the sun! I usually get 2-3 weeks paid holiday at the end of the year to enjoy the long summer days with friends and family.
Summer are the lazy days here in Brazil as well. Maybe we just don’t get cold enough to stop our activities. There are actually some festivities during winter months that people look forward to.