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The Ultimate British Christmas Traditions

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but the way we choose to celebrate varies from household to household. We’ve surveyed Brits to find out how they celebrate at Christmas, and the traditions and timeline they follow, from what they wear to what they eat and what they deem to be the ‘perfect Christmas’.

British Christmas dress code

Much in the spirit of the season, our survey revealed that 16% of respondents chose to wear Christmas jumpers on Christmas day, however unsurprisingly the majority of Brits opt for casualwear, with 33% and loungewear in third, with 13% in agreement. Only 11% of respondents choose to dress up for the day with occasionwear, which suggests that Brits prioritise casual and comfortable outfits at Christmas.

Ultimate British Christmas dinner

Arguably, Christmas dinner is one of the most exciting parts of the occasion, but with so many options that vary from household to household, the items people choose to fill their plate with and the quantity of each item is subjective. With this in mind, we’ve looked at which foods people eat at Christmas time, and the quantity they eat.

Starting with the main event, the meat. Whether it’s beef, chicken, pork or gammon the average portion is 2 slices. The item people indulge in most are the roast potatoes, with people opting for an average of 4 roast potatoes on their dinner plate. When it comes to vegetables, the most common choice is an equal amount of broccoli, carrots and parsnips, with respondents choosing 3 of each, and surprisingly the average amount of brussel sprouts is 4!

Other festive foods on our dinner plates at Christmas include on average 3 Yorkshire puddings, 3 spoonfuls of meat gravy, and 3 pigs in blankets, and the less popular choices of 2 spoonfuls each of peas and cabbage.

However, the festive meal doesn’t end at Christmas dinner, as the grand finale is in the dessert choices and in Britain, we clearly don’t do things by halves! On average we opt for 2 portions of desserts, whether that be classic Christmas treats such as Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, yule log and mince pies, or less traditional festive desserts such as profiteroles and cheese.

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Britain's Christmas drinking habits

Which cities drink the most on Christmas day? We’ve highlighted the key findings in a map below.

The top spot is shared by London who on average drink 3 glasses of wine on Christmas Day and Cardiff who drink 3 pints of beer. At the other end of the list, Bristol only drinks 1 glass of wine and Edinburgh has a single pint of beer. When it comes to spirits and mixers, Leeds and Plymouth have on average 2 drinks on the festive occasion. Bottoms up!

The most spoilt friends and family members

At Christmas there is nothing better than surprising our loved ones with a gift, and us Brits love to spoil our nearest and dearest. We spend the most on our sons and daughters, totalling an average of £127 each, closely followed by partners who we spend £125 on. 

When it comes to friends, on average Brits spend £64 on their friends and £66 on their best friends, as well as £67 on their secret Santa gifts to truly spread the joy of Christmas.

When do Brits open their presents?

A topic of great debate is when is the best time to open your presents at Christmas. Only 9% of respondents open their gifts before the big day, opting to open them on Christmas Eve instead. The most popular time to open presents is after breakfast on Christmas day which topped the list with 35% who agree, soon followed by opening presents as soon as you wake up which has 29% respondents in agreement.

At the other end of the list, the least popular times to open presents is throughout the day with 8% of Brits opening their gifts then, after Christmas dinner (7%), and before bedtime (2%).

Whether you celebrate Christmas in a big and bold way, or prefer to do it on a smaller scale, we’ve got you covered with Christmas decorations, kitchenware and Christmas jumpers to make sure your Christmas is merry and bright. Why not browse the full Christmas collection and get inspired this Christmas.

Methodology and sources:

We surveyed 2000 people from around the UK to find out about their festive habits, including how they dress, eat, and drink at Christmas. The survey was conducted in November 2021.

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