Cosy nights in, Twixmas downtime and eating leftovers are among the festive moments Brits enjoy more than Christmas Day itself, according to a poll of 2,000 adults who celebrate Christmas.
The research found 28% look forward to cosy nights during the festive season more than Christmas Day. A further 17% enjoy browsing supermarket aisles and picking up seasonal treats, while 15% said getting their hands on party food favourites gives them more festive excitement than Christmas Day. Another 10% get a bigger thrill from 'Friendsmas'.
Celebrating the whole season
For 81%, the festive season is about much more than just December 25th, and within the last five years, 19% have started celebrating for longer both before and after. As a result, 86% of these have found the festivities feel even more special.
The research was commissioned by Lidl ahead of its first-ever Christmas preview events in London and Manchester, giving Christmas lovers the chance to extend the festive season with an exclusive first look at the retailer's seasonal offering.
Food at the centre
Tickets cost £5, with all proceeds going to NSPCC, and guests can sample the festive food moments they love most, from Christmas dinner favourites to snacks for cosy nights in, alongside festive photo opportunities, giveaways and a preview of this year's non-food range.
For 75%, festive food and drink helps kick-start the seasonal feeling, with 46% associating this time of year with specific foods and drinks. Another 46% believe seasonal food helps create a festive atmosphere, while 38% said it is one of their favourite parts of the celebrations.
Early indulgence and hosting
More than one in 10 (13%) believe it's perfectly acceptable to tuck into festive food and drink as early as October or November. Meanwhile, 43% claim they enjoy festive food and drink too much to wait until December, and 41% want to make the most of products that are only available for a limited time.
When it comes to hosting, the survey, conducted by OnePoll, found 39% love the opportunity to bring friends and family together. A quarter (26%) embrace the chance to create a festive atmosphere in their home, while 21% enjoy the challenge of preparing food and drink for their loved ones.
Top 20 festive moments
The top 20 festive moments enjoyed more than Christmas Day include relaxing in the period between Christmas and New Year, cosy nights in building up to Christmas, watching favourite Christmas films, putting decorations up, and going on a wintery walk between Christmas and New Year.
Also featured are tucking into Christmas Day leftovers after the 25th, seeing Christmas lights switched on in the local area, shopping for presents, browsing festive aisles, enjoying new party food favourites, watching Boxing Day football, the final working day before Christmas, drinking mulled wine at Christmas markets, going to the pub on Christmas Eve, and doing the big Christmas food shop.
The list also includes having a 'Friendsmas' get together before the 25th, wearing a favourite Christmas jumper for the first time of the season, secretly eating food purchased for the 25th, taking advantage of Boxing Day sales, and taking the kids to Santa's grotto.
