Nearly six in 10 adults prefer older UK Christmas traditions over the more modern ones – with “Elf on the Shelf” the most disliked. A poll of 2,000 people, who celebrate Yuletide, found 27 percent can’t stand Santa’s mischievous little helper – while a fifth turn their nose up at getting new pyjamas for the whole family to wear.
Emailing the big man a wish list, receiving a Christmas Eve box, and keeping tabs on Santa’s sleigh via an online tracker, also made the list of most disliked modern rituals.
However, receiving a stocking, going to see a pantomime, and eating turkey on Christmas Day, were among the most-loved British festive traditions.
Visiting a Christmas market, carol singing, and leaving milk and cookies out for Santa, also made the “nice” list of Christmas activities.
The study also revealed the festive traditions from around the world that many would like to adopt – including tucking into Japan’s fried chicken dinner, and marking “little Christmas” on December 23rd, like they do in Norway.
Iceland’s tradition of giving a book on Christmas, having a New Zealand-style barbecue instead of a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and enjoying a Christmas Eve sauna, inspired by Finland, also made the list.
A spokesman for bakery brand, St Pierre, which commissioned the research, said: “For a lot of families, keeping up with Christmas traditions is an important part of the season, and it is what makes this time of year so special.
“However, there are some modern customs which have made their way into people’s homes over recent years. It’s been interesting to see the nation’s take on these, and even more interesting to hear which global dining traditions Brits would most like to adopt.”
When comparing countries, a third of those polled (32 percent) believe our festive customs are mostly inspired by other cultures, rather than being original.
And 20 percent even believe certain places are better at celebrating Christmas than we are – with the USA, Germany, and Norway taking the top spots for this.
As a result, three in 10 are keen to spend this magical time of year in another country, while 22 percent have already done so.
The study, carried out via OnePoll, found one in three enjoy any rituals that involve food or family recipes, with 36 percent claiming that most of what they do at home revolves around this.
And 21 percent have their own rituals outside of what is considered “typical” – with 16 percent seeing Christmas as the perfect time to start a new tradition.
However, 24 percent claim they take part in certain things each year because they feel like they have to – and almost half (48 percent) also admitted they still carry out some of their family heritages that they experienced as a child.
The spokesman for St Pierre added: “It’s great to see food coming in as the number one thing people most enjoy about Christmas – and it’s no wonder, as not only is it the perfect time to indulge, but it’s also a special time for making memories.
“Food is more than a meal on your plate – it’s the nostalgia of growing up, the family recipes that come out once a year, and a wonderful way to bring people together, no matter where we are in the world.”
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