In the United States, more babies are born in September than in any other month. And for a while, scientists attributed this to the fact that the holiday season is a cold and dark time of year for much of the United States. This makes it easy for couples to feel cozier than usual. But there’s more to it than that. A new study is suggesting that there are other reasons why you want to have sex during the holidays.

Researchers in both the U.S. and Portugal have found that interest in sex doesn’t have as much to do with the season, as much as it has to do with culture and collective moods. In fact, an interest in sex increased in places like Australia and Argentina during Christmas time, even though their holiday season happens during the warm summer season.

Similarly, in Muslim countries, the amount of web searches for “sex” increased around the holiday, Eid-al-Fitr, which comes at the end of Ramadan. But this holiday doesn’t always occur during cold seasons. In fact, it depends on the lunar calendar and can occur during the summer.

In short, researches found that major cultural and religious celebrations contribute to a greater interest in not only sex, but conception, too.

While scientists still aren’t sure why people think about starting a family during these festive times, one suggestion is that the holidays can increase feelings of happiness, calmness and safety.

This in turn, creates a welcoming atmosphere for love- and family-making. Now, it’s your turn – do the holidays make you want to start a family of your own?