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Winner, winner - Christmas Dinner!

If there’s one thing the UK prides itself on, it’s how we celebrate Christmas. And one aspect we take particularly seriously is the mighty Christmas dinner.

For many, it’s the highlight of the whole day and its preparation starts way before Christmas Day itself – even before December begins! There’s a lot to get ready, and it isn’t just all about the food. It’s about raising festive cheer, getting the timings and atmosphere right, the festive table décor, the crockery, and of course, incorporating family traditions – no matter how weird and wacky they are.

With so much excitement and prep, Christmas dinner is often one of the most awaited parts of the entire festive season. But with it being such a subjective experience for every family, it also makes it one of the most highly contested - with everyone passionately proclaiming that they know what exactly constitutes the perfect Christmas dinner.

So, we surveyed Brits to uncover the truth about Christmas dinner and discover exactly what goes on behind your wreath-adorned closed doors. We’ve explored everything from how much Christmas crockery we own and how often we buy it, how the average UK family dresses for Christmas dinner, the reasons behind why we go so above and beyond when decorating a Christmas dining table and what unexpected food items we most commonly see on our Christmas plates (spoiler, there is a mention of baked beans).

So, that said – let’s go-ho-ho!

Preparing for Christmas dinner

Christmas often works its way into our thoughts and vocabulary as early as September, with the turning of the seasons. Whether it’s the gift buying, finding sleeping apparatus for out-of-town family members or of course, getting everything perfect for that grand feast – part of the fun is in the preparation.

Of course, your Christmas feast isn’t just an ordinary dinner. It demands foods that usually only come around once a year (Brussels sprouts, anyone?), dressing the table up to the nines, and feeling as festive as possible with themed plates, bowls, cups, and even cutlery.

Turns out, the average person owns 38 items of Christmas-themed tableware. This includes cutlery, glasses, plates, mugs, candles, napkins and table runners.

Nothing says Christmas like a hot chocolate or a mulled wine, and that might explain how we found out that 1.2 million UK households own at least 14 Christmas mugs.

Of course, with so much food to be cooked, there comes a whole lot of leftovers. We found that two million UK households own at least 10 pieces of Christmas-themed Tupperware!

When do all of these get mingled into everyday use? Well, we discovered that one in five UK households have already started using their Christmas crockery by 12th November. That’s certainly one way to add some festive cheer to your beans on toast.

With so much Christmas tableware taking over our storage space, it raises the question – at what point did we start accumulating it? Our stats revealed that a quarter of families only buy new Christmas tableware a maximum of every six years, with more than one in 10 (13%) saying that they have never bought new Christmas table items.

Despite putting so much effort and passion into our Christmas crockery collection, one in 10 people say their Christmas decorations are less ‘chic’ than their normal décor. This tells us that no matter our own personal style and taste, it all goes out the window when it comes to spreading festive cheer throughout the home and at the dinner table.

What it also tells us is how important tradition is when it comes to Christmas. Despite fluctuating trends and changes in our own personal style, the stats clearly show that we are still sticking with the same Christmas tableware and decorations.
In fact, we found that over a third of people say that Christmas is all about tradition and nostalgia.

The Big Day! What does the average Christmas dinner table look like?

Feeling festive in the lead-up to Christmas is fun, but there’s nothing like when the day actually arrives and you can tuck in! But what does the big day look, and taste, like for the average Brit?

As well as opening presents and spending time with family, many of us also transform our homes into nothing less than a Christmas grotto and make it feel truly special. And the way we dress the Christmas dinner table is no exception.

Our study revealed that 78% of Brits make an extra special effort to “tablescape” when serving Christmas dinner, helping make the ambiance as good as the food.

Over half of Brits also revealed that table gifts and favours form part of their Christmas table decorations, spending an average of £12.60 per person. Christmas cracker, anyone?

But why do we feel the need to pull out all the stops? Our study shows that 45% of people tablescape simply because it makes them happy. Christmas is well known for being the most wonderful time of year, and something many of us look forward to. With it only coming around once a year, it’s no wonder we like to make the most of it whilst it lasts.

That said, almost one in five people stated that they dress their Christmas table purely to impress their audience on social media.

No matter how dressed up your table is, everyone’s main focus is always going to be that delicious Christmas dinner. The turkey, the stuffing, the vegetables, the gravy, and who could forget the pigs in blankets!

Research has shown that the most common items on a British Christmas dinner are roast potatoes and gravy. That said, our stats have revealed that there are some people out there who like to travel a little bit off the beaten track.

Here are the UK’s top non-traditional Christmas food items, according to our research.

The UKÔÇÖs top non-traditional Christmas food items- w food

We found that 1.3 million people in Britain put baked beans on their Christmas dinner! And another 2 million admitted to piling on onion rings, and 3.3 million are fitting in seafood next to their turkey leg.

What do Brits wear on Christmas Day?

Christmas day is usually a time for parties, cocktails, posh nosh and celebration, but all in the comfort of your own home. This means the dress code is entirely up to you! But typically, full bellies and gravy stains are at the forefront of our minds when choosing our outfits.

That said, our study revealed that the most common dress code for Christmas day is smart casual, with 40% admitting they add a bit of formality to their normal house wear for the special day.

18% of people however said they stay in their Christmas pyjamas, and 10% of people go all out and dress their best for Christmas day.

Christmas day is a highly personal affair for families across Britain. It’s a day based around traditions, treasured memories, and of course all the bells and whistles of a quintessential Christmas dinner. With it only coming around once a year, our Christmas crockery, decorations, traditions, and food aren’t just in aid of being festive, but are reminders of all the great Christmas’ before, and those yet to come. If you’re looking to make some new memories and traditions, be sure to check out our dedicated Christmas shop, including a range of Christmas tableware, Christmas decorations, Christmas gifts and Christmas accessories.

Next polled a nationally-representative survey panel of 2,000 UK residents and analysed the data. The survey was completed in September 2022.