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The exact time when the Grinch strikes on Christmas is ...

Deck the halls … and each other?According a new study, all that family time at the holidays can sometimes lead to squabbles. In fact, according to a study of British families, commissioned by vouchercodes.co.uk and via The Daily Mail, two-thirds of families get into fights on Christmas Day.The study has even pinpointed the moment where, on average, everyone stops being on their best behavior: 3:
At 3:18 on Christmas There Could Be a Family Fight
At 3:18 on Christmas There Could Be a Family FightSuperStock/Getty Images / Today

Deck the halls … and each other?

According a new study, all that family time at the holidays can sometimes lead to squabbles. In fact, according to a study of British families, commissioned by vouchercodes.co.uk and via The Daily Mail, two-thirds of families get into fights on Christmas Day.

The study has even pinpointed the moment where, on average, everyone stops being on their best behavior: 3:18 p.m. In other words, fireworks before dinner! About one in 10 families even argue before breakfast.

Why the grinchy behavior? The most common point of contention during this season of charity is ... the remote. That's right, about 17 percent of families say arguments bubble up over what to watch on TV. Who does the washing up can ignite fury, with 12 percent of families fighting over clean-up. Festive drinks can also play a role; 10 percent of folks say too much booze leads to family rows.

So if you want a truly Merry Christmas, have conversations instead of watching TV, offer to dry the dishes, lay off the cocktails—and plan for an early exit.

Mom of two Sasha Emmons is a writer and editor. Follow her on Twitter and Google+.

A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.