A new study from Indiana University has found regular spikes in birth rates around holidays isn’t just limited to the United States.

In the US, there is a birth spike every September and October, about nine months after Christmas.

But IU researchers also looked at data in Israel and found different birth peaks – nine months after major Jewish and Muslim holiday celebrations.

IU School of Informatics professor Luis Rocha co-led the study.

“The mood that is present in these holidays is one where people are happy, generally happy. There’s less anxiety, so they tend to be calm as a whole.”

He says this data can be useful for public health officials.

“This is useful to target safe sex campaigns. For instance, you wouldn’t think to do it around Christmas time to do them. And also expanding on these techniques toward other health problems.”

Rocha says holidays like Thanksgiving and Easter did not have the same results as other major holidays like Christmas and Ramadan.