Forget Santa's sleigh; experts warn that Britons are far more likely to report seeing an 'alien' spacecraft over the Christmas holidays. Data from UFO monitoring organisations reveals a significant and consistent annual surge in unidentified flying object reports throughout December, with a dramatic peak specifically on Christmas Day.
The Festive Spike in UFO Reports
According to the UFO Reporting Centre in the United States, December brings a huge wave of sightings, culminating in a massive spike every 25th of December. In 2021 alone, a staggering 75 separate UFO sightings were reported on Christmas Day. This pattern is not a new phenomenon; records of increased UFO activity during the festive season stretch all the way back to Christmas 1965.
Christian Stepien, the technical director at the centre, suggests a terrestrial explanation for the extraterrestrial reports. He believes the increase is likely linked to festive firework displays and elaborate Christmas light installations, which can create unusual visual effects in the night sky that are mistaken for something otherworldly.
Why Are We Looking Up More at Christmas?
Ron James from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) corroborates the trend, noting a slight uptick in reports twice a year: during summer and around the winter holidays. He offered several reasons for the seasonal increase to The Daily Beast.
"People might be off work, they're doing family activities and things they don't normally do, so there are more possibilities for people to encounter things," James explained. "Then, of course, there's always Santa Claus and the reindeer."
He added that the simple act of more people being outdoors—shopping, travelling, or enjoying festivities—naturally leads to more eyes on the skies. "If there is an uptick, I can understand that because there's a lot of people out during that time... They might be looking up in the air," he said.
A Historic Christmas Prank from Space
The link between Christmas and unusual aerial sightings has a famous and humorous precedent. In December 1965, astronauts Wally Schirra Jr. and Thomas Stafford aboard the Gemini 6 mission decided to inject some festive spirit into their flight.
Schirra radioed mission control with a deliberately alarming report: "We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, probably in polar orbit. Looks like he might be going to re-enter soon. You just might let me pick up that thing."
Stafford added to the intrigue, stating, "I see a command module and eight smaller modules in front. The pilot of the command module is wearing a red suit." As panic began to spread on the ground, Schirra saved the day by pulling out a harmonica and playing a rendition of Jingle Bells, revealing the entire 'UFO' encounter as an elaborate Christmas joke.
While this historic event was a prank, it underscores how the Christmas period has long been associated with looking to the heavens with a sense of wonder—whether for celestial visitors, a jolly man in a red suit, or simply the spectacular results of our own festive celebrations.
