Adults who celebrate Christmas will spend almost five years preparing for the big day over their lifetime

Research has revealed a total of 34 hours is spent untangling lights, more than two days decorating the tree, and 164 weeks – just over three years – cleaning and tidying before guests arrive, to ensure the festive season goes to plan.
The poll of 2,000 adults, who participate in Yuletide, also found they will spend the equivalent of a day and a half picking or vacuuming up pine leaves from real trees over a period of 63 years.
And almost one-and-a-half days will be dedicated to re-decorating the tree if children or other household members have done a poor job of it – with a confident 22 per cent claiming their decorating skills are “amazing”.
But one of the most time-consuming festive tasks is planning for the Christmas dinner, which takes up almost two-and-a-half years.
An average of 41 hours will also be spent on “unexpected” challenges, such as failed cookers and hosting for last-minute guests.
The research, which was commissioned by B&Q, also found an hour is spent packing away decorations post-festivities each year – with 54 per cent describing their technique as “neat and tidy”, while one in six (16 per cent) admit theirs is haphazard.
When asked about making this time of year easier, the things people would most like hacks for were revealed as wrapping unusual shaped presents (27 per cent), and how to untangle tree lights (14 per cent).
Mairi Devlin at B&Q, said: “Christmas time is a special and rewarding time for all those involved, and provides the perfect excuse to host loved ones in the home for festive fun.
“There’s nothing more important than quality time with friends and family and creating new traditions, such as buying a real tree each year and adding new decorations as each year passes.”
Two in 5 worry about this Christmas in particular
The study also