One in 10 brace for Xmas family feuds

Many Austrians expect their families to argue this Christmas, a survey has shown.The Institute for Future Studies at the Fachhochschule (FH) college Salzburg found in a poll that 10 per cent of Austrians expect Christmas to be overshadowed by disputes between family members this year.The institute, which interviewed around 1,000 Austrians, also found out that one out of three Austrians older than 80 fear being lonely around Christmas.Earlier this month, a financial expert warned up to 20 per cent of Austrians are at risk of getting themselves into debt ahead of the festival this year.Alexander Maly of the Viennese Debtors Counselling Authority said many people will buy things without thinking about whether they can actually afford them.”Some people feel pressure to consume and shop in order to belong to a certain group of friends,” he added.