This is the precise time we lose patience with family over the festive period

Christmas comes but once a year and that’s certainly a good thing for many Brits, who run out of steam entertaining visiting relatives at precisely 2.13pm on Boxing Day.

While the festive period can offer the perfect opportunity to spend time with the family, it seems the joy can be pretty short-lived with experts pinpointing Boxing Day afternoon as the time when most of us begin to find great uncle Bob somewhat annoying.

With the excitement of Christmas day behind us, it seems Boxing Day proves something of a buzz kill as the festive cheer begins to fade and families start to grate on one another.

Disagreements over board games, what to watch on TV and politics are among the most common niggles, and don’t even mention the B word (that’s Brexit for those who have been living under a rock for the past three years.)

Other tensions included having to share a room at night, being asked to look after other family members’ kids and being the only single person in the family.

In fact the poll, of 600 adults, by Hotels.com, found relatives poking their nose into their relationship status pretty grating with more than a quarter (26%) of those aged 18 to 34 claiming to have been nagged about being unattached.

And a quarter (25%) of younger adults have also faced criticism for not being good with money and not having a better job.

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Emma Tagg, of Hotels.com brand said: “With Grandma giving you the ‘why are you still single?’ side eye, your constant 'availability' for babysitting and the ongoing questions about your lack of savings, festive family gatherings can all get a bit much.”

Other festive family flashpoints include being surrounded by ‘perfect’ couples, enduring cutesy PDAs and having to entertain noisy kids rather than take it easy.

Whats more four in 10 of all those polled admit they tend to get to a point when they cannot bear to spend any more time with their family.

Sadly, one in 10 admit they only stay with their family at Christmas because they have nowhere else to go, while a fifth said the alternative of having to stay in a hotel would be too expensive.

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With that in mind it seems most families have no choice but to rub along with one another and put up with the ‘still single?’ jibes and festive fall-out, and simply pour yourself another Snowball.

Christmas comes but once a year after all.

Most common tensions at Christmas:

• Criticism for being single
• Not 'adulting' adequately
• Stress of preparing the Christmas meal
• Unpopular Christmas presents
• Falling out over board games
• Political views
• Being hungover on Christmas day
• Not helping around the house enough over Christmas
• Looking after the siblings'/other family member's children
• Disagreements over what to watch on TV
• Not spending enough time with your family
• Having to share a room overnight with another family member