By Ashley Wiebe

Albertans love Christmas shopping: AMA survey

Dec 20, 2016 | 1:05 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Despite the tough economic times that have hit the province, a new report shows Albertans love the holiday season.

The Alberta Motor Association asked its members and found 63 per cent of people are only ‘slightly stressed’ or ‘not stressed’ at all during what’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year.

The survey also reported 70 per cent of those asked say they either ‘love’ or ‘like’ Christmas time, compared to two percent who said they ‘hate’ it.

According to the survey, a few of the biggest stresses around the holiday season include managing budgets and shopping for the perfect present.

Misty Harris with AMA said this is the first year they’ve done the survey and were surprised more people aren’t stressed this time of year.

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“It kind of makes you feel a little bit better as you’re running around doing the last of your holiday shopping to know that the people around you are actually enjoying what they’re doing,” Harris said over the phone from Edmonton. “The people most likely to say they hated the holidays were actually Gen-Xers, so age 35 to 44 and not millennials, which I think maybe some people might assume.”

Cold weather, family commitments and crowded malls also add to the stress Albertans feel around this time of year, said Harris.

CHAT News Today visited the Medicine Hat Mall on Monday, and spoke to several people about the stresses of the holiday season.

“Just waiting in line ups, yeah, waiting in line ups,” one shopper said.

“Every place is place is a zoo,” added another shopper.

“ (What is) most stressful is trying to figure out what everyone would like, or how to spend time with everyone,” said a third shopper.