Triggers in Holidays: Neurophysiological, Psychological, and Sociocultural Aspects Introduction: The Holiday as a Landscape of Triggers The holiday period, especially at the peak of New Year's and Christmas, represents a unique temporally-eventual space rich in potential triggers – stimuli that elicit powerful, often involuntary emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions. Unlike the daily routine, where triggers are usually scattered, the holiday concentrates them, creating an "emotional overload" effect. The study of these triggers requires an integrative approach, taking into account the functioning of the limbic system, patterns of associative memory, and the pressure of social scenarios. 1. Sensory Triggers: Contact Through Memory Odorant (olfactory) triggers. Olfaction is directly connected to the hippocampus and amygdala – centers of memory and emotions, bypassing the thalamus. Smells have an extremely high triggering power. The scent of mandarins, pine, certain spices (cinnamon, cloves) or traditional dishes (Olivier salad, roast goose) instantly activates autobiographical memories. This can evoke both warm nostalgia and painful memories of lost loved ones or past family conflicts. Research by Rachel Herz shows that the "smell-memory-emotion" connection is one of the most resilient. Auditory triggers. Certain songs ("Last Christmas" by Wham!, "Jingle Bells", the soundtrack to "The Irony of Fate") become cultural constants. Their repetitiveness creates a powerful associative series. For some, this is the background for joy, for others – a reminder of a specific, possibly traumatic period in life. The sound of glasses clinking, laughter, the specific "hum" of the festive crowd can also act as triggers of social anxiety or the feeling of "not being in one's place". Visual triggers. The abundance of twinkling lights, a certain color scheme (red, gold, green), images of idealized families in advertising – all this forms a standard against which a person uncons ... Read more