The UK’s weird and wonderful Christmas traditions revealed
Discover what Brits across the country love about the most festive days of all, from the newest to the most unusual Christmas traditions.
The festive season is a time for spreading joy, catching up with family and friends, and celebrating cherished traditions. For many, it’s the one time of year when familiar rituals are followed year after year.
Whether it’s taking a family photo, watching The King’s Speech, or opening presents before or after Christmas dinner, every family has its own unique way of celebrating.
These traditions create special memories that are passed down through generations and it’s these little moments that make the season truly magical.
To find out how the nation will be spending Christmas this year and to inspire families to try out some new traditions, we surveyed 2,028 UK adults who celebrate Christmas. We asked how they celebrate, what traditions they follow, and which ones they’re passing down to future generations.
Let’s dive into the results.
Find in this article:
Which Christmas traditions do Brits follow?
While many follow long-standing traditions such as handing out Christmas cards (78%), watching Christmas movies (71%), and getting an advent calendar (59%), new festive trends are also emerging.
For example, one in six (16%) now take part in Elf on the Shelf, while 34% enjoy watching festive adverts.
On the theme of new traditions, many families create treasured memories through photos, with the majority having multiple photo-based rituals. Two in five (37%) take a Christmas photo every year, 13% send personalised photo gifts, and 11% look back through family albums to relive previous Christmases.
When asked whether these traditions are important to them, 92% agreed that they play a meaningful role in their family’s Christmas celebrations.
The most unusual Christmas traditions revealed
While we share similar festive routines, we wanted to see just how much each family’s celebrations differ.
When asked which unusual Christmas traditions they follow, 22% said they watch the same Christmas movie every year, while 15% put up their decorations earlier than most (at the start of November).
One in ten (10%) take part in a humorous challenge by competing for the ugliest Christmas jumper, and another 10% skip the traditional roast dinner altogether, instead opting for a Chinese or Indian meal.
The festive rituals that Brits have kept over the years
Some festive customs are ones we choose ourselves, but many are passed down through the generations. We wanted to discover how many people keep these long-standing routines alive.
When asked, over four in ten (45%) said it’s important to continue these traditions. Meanwhile, 34% still carry some of their parents’ and grandparents’ customs, but not all of them, and 18% of couples have created their own Christmas traditions.
Half of Brits still cook family recipes that were handed down, while 42% use decorations passed on from other family members.
Two in five (39%) have kept the ritual of taking family photos, and 19% still make handmade gifts.
The festive traditions that Brits will be passing down to the next generation
As well as inheriting beloved customs, we wanted to uncover which festive practices the nation plans to pass on.
Taking a festive family photo is a tradition that three in ten (30%) plan to continue.
Meanwhile, one in ten (9%) will carry on looking through family albums from Christmases gone by, and 8% intend to keep sending personalised photo gifts.
The Christmas gifts that have become traditions over the years
Gifting is a huge part of the holiday season, and we wanted to find out whether certain presents have become traditions in their own right.
Almost half of Brits (48%) say that giving a chocolate selection box is now a yearly ritual, while board games and puzzles remain a popular choice for many (32%).
Slippers and dressing gowns are another festive favourite (31%), and more than a quarter (26%) continue the tradition of gifting a Christmas jumper.
Photo-based gifts have also become a modern tradition, with 21% giving photo frames or family photos, and one in five (19%) opting for personalised presents such as calendars and mugs.
What the nation is most excited for on Christmas Day
So, which part of the day do Brits find most exciting? Christmas dinner is the main event for many, with a third (33%) looking forward to the meal the most.
Spending time with family and friends comes next, with 28% saying this is their favourite part of the day. More of our participants prefer the act of giving gifts (20%) rather than receiving them (8%).
Just 5% are most excited about playing games and taking part in family activities, and the same proportion look forward to watching Christmas films.
What time Brits open their Christmas presents
The timing of opening Christmas presents differs greatly from family to family.
Over two-fifths (45%) open them after breakfast, between 9am and 11am, while 26% start earlier, opening presents as soon as their children wake up, between 5am and 8am.
Only 14% prefer to open them before or after their Christmas dinner, from 12pm to 2pm, while 6% don’t have a set time for opening theirs.
The UK’s most photographed moments on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
With photos being an important way to create special memories and being a popular tradition for many Brits, we wanted to uncover which moments are being photographed the most during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Unsurprisingly, the dinner table and the Christmas spread are the most snapped moments, with 45% taking photos of their roasts. A third (35%) also enjoy photographing their décor, while 19% take shots of themselves in matching pyjamas.
Taking an extended family group photo is a given for a quarter (25%) and getting a photo of the family around the Christmas tree is also popular (22%).
Another special moment for many Brits is photographing family members opening presents, with 35% capturing this festive highlight.
If you’re looking to create special memories this Christmas, explore our wide range of photo-based gift options, including photo books, prints, personalised gifts and photo calendars.
Methodology: We surveyed 2,028 UK adults who celebrate Christmas to gather the data results for the study.
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