No Ho Ho Surprises: Ireland A Nation of Christmas Traditionalists

A new survey has revealed Ireland is a nation of traditionalists come December 25, as the public look forward to reuniting with loved ones and cooking up a storm with retro Christmas dinner recipes.

Ahead of the festive season, Tesco Ireland has announced its 2021 Christmas research which examines the habits and behaviours of Irish consumers during the Christmas period.

This year, travel is a key feature within the research as families look forward to reuniting with loved ones from near and far.

Over 3 in 10 (31%) adults say they will have family members travelling to be with them this Christmas, with more than one in ten adults (14%) saying they will have family members travelling from abroad. It's also been a long time coming for nearly one quarter (24%) of respondents who say it has been more than a year since they last saw this person.

Some of the other key stats from the survery include:

• 1 in 10  (12%) are expecting to host more than nine guests for Christmas dinner
• Retro recipes making a comeback for over half of adults (61%) – relying on handed-down family classics, even the millennials! 
• Almost half (49%) of Irish consumers plan to volunteer for a local charity (or give back to their community) this Christmas
• Over half of adults (60%) say that they love a surprise gift and almost a quarter of Irish consumers (23%) will be spending an average of €101 – €200 on gifts this Christmas 

Commenting on the research findings, Cathal Deavy, Marketing Director, Tesco Ireland said, “What our research tells us is that after the last year the people of Ireland are excited that Christmas is back and are determined to enjoy the festive season. Traditions continue to play an integral role in households as families look forward to reuniting with their loved ones and making up for lost time.”