"There are actually 5 types of people at Christmas. Here's exactly what our family would be."

Theory: there's no time of year that reveals more about who you really are than Christmas. 

Here's an example.

A few years ago, we were in New York in mid-December. On one of our last nights, we went into Times Square and it started to snow. We hadn't actively realised we were starring in a rom com, but suddenly, out of the doors of H&M, came the angelic sound of Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You. 

Outside the shop, wearing a Santa hat and some tinsel, a grown man was performing what appeared to be a highly choreographed dance. To Mariah. Alone. In the snow. With unparalleled enthusiasm. 

Was he employed to do that? Unsure. From the look on his face... no. The dancing was a passion project.

The point is, he was the best kind of Christmas person. The one who brings the vibe and reminds us that Christmas is full of goddamn magical moments.

But sometimes, when it's Christmas Eve and you have 17 presents to buy and nothing to wear and you're hungry and your feet hurt and you want to get your dog a Christmas costume but your sister is yelling 'THAT'S NOT A PRIORITY', you can forget.

Luckily, the clever folks at Klarna — creators of the ultimate all-in-one shopping app — know this. So this year, they conducted a research study to identify 5 distinct holiday personas, so that no matter how you do the holidays, shopping can be easier than ever.

Klarna is an all-in-one shopping app that delivers a better way to shop. First, it offers a pay in 4 option with zero interest, allowing you to shop anywhere (online and IRL) and make flexible payments that fit your budget. The app also lets you shop all your favourite brands in the one spot, create and share wishlists, and access exclusive deals and price drops so you never pay more than you have to. Plus, you can track your deliveries and manage returns with ease. Talk about handy!

After surveying more than 18,000 consumers around the world, these were the 5 holiday personas Klarna identified, and what they mean. 

1. The Enthusiast

This. Was. The. Man. In. New. York.

According to consumer psychologist Kate Nightingale, "enthusiasts are lovers of tradition and want to stay true to the real meaning of the holidays.

"This genuine holiday spirit pushes them to find meaningful gifts for loved ones."

The Enthusiast has their social calendar organised by December 1, and enjoys putting their heart and soul into finding perfect gifts. 

We have an Enthusiast in our family. And his name is Simon. 

Simon ALWAYS has a special Christmas shirt. And a fun hat. Image: Supplied.

No one loves Christmas like Simon. He waits for it all year, and never forgets what it's really about: 

• Family 
• Food
• Presents
• Babies

Enthusiasts are more likely to plan their gift-giving rather than being spontaneous (look, Simon isn't the best gift-giver, but he is very good at receiving gifts), and are likely to start gift shopping around November 1.

Every family needs an Enthusiast. They bring the energy and equally as important: bloody good gifts.

2. Master of Festivities

It would seem our mum was one of the respondents in Klarna's research, because yes, they've described her perfectly. 

The Master of Festivities is the holiday social butterfly. They're resourceful, which makes them great at finding bargains, and they leave no one off their Christmas list.

Ultimately, they want everyone to have fun. Friends, family, co-workers, strangers — everyone's included. 

'ALL I WANT IS TO CELEBRATE. CONSTANTLY.' Image: Supplied.

The Master of Festivities are also the ones who do the decorating, whether it's putting fairy lights up in the front garden or putting up the Christmas tree.

Mum definitely tries to decorate, but unfortunately she has the skills of a three-year-old who's been given a random assortment of... trinkets. So she's been banned. Indefinitely.

3. The Gatherer

All we want in life is to have separate identities. 

But after taking Klarna's quiz MULTIPLE TIMES, the truth was undeniable.

We're the same persona. 

We're Gatherers. 

For us, the holiday season is all about spending time with our family (or chosen family). We value close relationships, and crave the chaos that is Christmas Day with children running around, dogs getting into the ham, our brothers fighting about who was responsible for presents, and Pop sitting placidly, unable to hear most of what's going on. 

In terms of shopping, we purchase gifts intuitively. Which is a lovely way of saying: with zero planning. We don't have lists of spreadsheets or anything organised in advance. And we probably should be making our lists in the Klarna app but instead, we wait because we know the answers will just come to us. Probably two days before Christmas.

Shopping is hard so we make it harder by leaving it to the last minute. Image: Supplied.

Gatherers don't love shopping, so are likely to start gift shopping later than others. 

Oops.

4. The Pragmatist

Pragmatists are conscientious, and according to consumer psychologist Kate Nightingale, "tend to take a middle-of-the-road approach towards the holidays."

That doesn't mean they don't enjoy Christmas — they celebrate with the people they love — but they don't go overboard. 

They set a budget for Christmas shopping and love a deal. 

In our family, The Pragmatist in unmistakably: Dad.

Dad pls. Image: Supplied.

Of course, every family needs a Pragmatist. Otherwise we'd all be running around decorating and intuitively purchasing gifts all year round. 

5. The Nay-Sleigher

There's always the person at Christmas who's a bit like: ... meh.

There are parts of it they love. But it's a lot, and they're not entirely sure why the family can't just celebrate at another, slightly less busy, time of year?

In our family, our brothers are Nay-Sleighers. 

Soz. Image: Supplied.

The surprising thing, however, is that while they do only buy a handful of presents (Klarna's research found Nay-Sleighers purchase an average of 3 gifts at Christmas), they're surprisingly... thoughtful. Their gifts are definitely spontaneous, but they have good instincts. 

Nightingale says, "With [Nay-Sleighers] there's probably a need to scratch beneath the surface," because while they might not appear to care about the holidays, the gifts they give can suggest otherwise. 

If you're interested in learning which one of the 5 holiday personas best describes you, take the quiz right here. 

Ultimately, no persona is better or worse than another — but knowing which one you are can help you adopt some tips and tricks to make the festive season smoother.

No matter what, Klarna has you covered. By offering the option to buy now and pay later in 4 interest free instalments, and creating an all-in-one shopping app which includes browsing and inspiration, purchasing, payment management, delivery tracking and more, Christmas shopping has never been easier. 

For both of us, the anxiety of shopping in real life is gone, because we can order the perfect gifts ahead of time, and keep track of exactly when they're arriving. We can also take as long as we like to make a decision about what gifts suit the people in our lives, and can be notified when the purchases we're eyeing off go on sale. 

No matter who you are, Klarna can help take the stress out of Christmas shopping, so we've all got more time to focus on spending time with the people we love.

No matter what type of Christmas shopper you are, Klarna has got you covered. With their all-in-one shopping app and the ability to purchase in 4 interest free payments, they'll make shopping during this festive season easier. Visit the Klarna website to find out more and download the app.

Feature Image: Supplied.