The French really do hate their in-laws: report
85 percent of the French prefer to spend Christmas with their own family rather than with their spouse’s relatives, a recent report reveals. Is war brewing under the mistletoe?
A report published by the online dating website Meetic reveals most French people would prefer not to spend the Christmas holidays with their in-laws.
The figure suggests couples struggle to accept each others' relatives for social or religious reasons, reports daily Le Figaro. 20 percent of interviewees admitted to hating their in-laws, especilly their mother-in-law or their sister-in-law.
But the myth of the mother-in-law bullying their beloved boy’s partner however is something that needs to be revisited in France. The study reveals younger women are particularly harsh. "Young women feel they are competing against their partner’s female relatives," says psychologist Sophie Cadalen in an interview with Le Figaro.
However, war under the mistletoe is something the French also joke about, taking the sting out of possible conflict. The Meetic study says 40 percent of French couples poke fun at each others' in-laws.
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