The Christmas holiday season is approaching, and with it comes the tradition of exchanging gifts. To date, more than 6 million Italians have purchased Christmas gifts, with around 10% taking out loans. The data originates from a survey conducted by Facile.it, an Italian entity specializing in the comparison, promotion, and brokerage of insurance, financial products, utilities (electricity, gas, and fiber optics), and long-term car rentals, in collaboration with the research institute mUp Research. The aim was to capture consumer habits when it comes to holiday shopping. Regarding payment methods, for instance, it was observed that cash transactions persisted, with approximately three million Italians using this method for their holiday purchases. However, alternative payment options are gaining favor. Among those who have already purchased Christmas presents, 20% stated they used a digital payment app, while 7.7% chose the "buy now pay later" option, which allows you to pay for goods in three or four interest-free installments. Some people have turned to a credit institution: 12% of the studied population (800,000 people) claimed they have used consumer credit, through a financing plan or a personal loan. For many of them, Christmas will pass — but the debt won’t.