Seven in ten Britons will spend 25 December with their immediate family, and over half will be at their own home – but one in ten will spend the day with friends instead
It’s that time of year again: itchy jumpers, food comas and sherry-infused board game bickering. But where and with whom will the British public pull their crackers?
People mostly expect to be with their kids and partners (69%), their parents (36%) and other family members (35%). Spending Christmas Day with friends is less common (8%). But the figures vary depending on personal circumstances.
Unmarried people will largely be with their parents (67%) and other family members (50%). The ones who are married or in civil partnerships anticipate to be with immediate family (86%), while seeing extended family is less common (28%).
Other factors such as how many kids one has also appear to impact Christmas Day arrangements. Close to half of people with one or two kids will be with their parents, while it’s much less common for those who have three or more (29%).
Majority will spend Christmas Day at home
Most prefer the comfort of their own home on Christmas Day. Half of Brits plan to stay in, a quarter are going to their parents and a fifth to another family member.
People with kids who live at home are even more inclined to stay put, especially if they have many or the children are a bit older. This is true for three quarters of families with three or more kids, and four out of five who have children aged between 12 and 18.
So who are the Christmas Day visitors?
For one, the grandparents. Most people with kids will spend Christmas at home, but more than two in five (44%) expect to see their parents.
Then there’s the unmarried, widowed and divorced. Half of people who have not been married go to their parents. Widows and widowers largely visit extended family (52%). And while two in five divorcees will be at home, many (37%) will go to extended family members on Christmas Day. A third of people who are living as married also go to their parents.
Most students (69%) will also go home to their parents.
