Survey reveals that the simple Christmas traditions bring the most joy
- Nearly 50% of people surveyed worry about the expense of Christmas
- Christmas shopping disliked by nearly 30% of those surveyed – with supermarket trolley rage adding to stress levels
- 1 in 5 have concerns about the increase in drunk and disorderly revellers in public places
- However, spending time with ones ‘nearest and dearest’ brings the most joy at Christmas (but not the in-laws)
- Wrapping gifts, decking the halls with bells of holly and attending the office party are also among the nation’s favourite Christmas pleasures
‘Tis the season to be jolly and it’s the little things that make the Great British public happy at Christmas, reveals a new survey* from Allianz Global Assistance. Wrapping presents, cooking the Christmas dinner and wearing the obligatory Christmas cracker hat are amongst the favourite things of those surveyed.
However, the survey also shows that it’s not all “ho ho ho” at Christmas, with the pressure and the expense of Christmas spoiling the sparkle of the festive season for many. An overwhelming 49% worry about the cost of Christmas and this rises to a staggering 75% in the North East. Shopping, the drunk and disorderly and the Christmas TV schedule are also big Christmas dislikes.
Surprisingly, the supposed Christmas villain, the brussel sprout, doesn’t make the top 10 Christmas dislikes, with just 12% of all people surveyed putting it on their top 3 dislikes list, although the English are more partial to a brussel sprout than the Welsh and the Scottish; 21% of the Welsh respondents and 20% of the Scottish respondents voted against the brussel sprout. Furthermore, of those surveyed, people from Wales like celebrating Christmas the least (29%), whilst the South East is the most festive region with 54% saying it’s fun – albeit thankfully once a year!
“It’s encouraging to see that spending time with loved ones and enjoying the little pleasures such as wrapping presents and decorating the Christmas tree, are amongst the most enjoyable elements of the festive season. However, with one in three adults putting Christmas presents on credit this year and more than one in five putting Christmas food on credit**, we urge people worried about money or debt, to seek advice from a charity-run service like National Debtline, as soon as possible. The earlier you seek free advice, the sooner you can worry less about your money situation and focus on enjoying the festive fun,” says Allianz Global Assistance in the UK.
National Debtline offers free, independent advice online via National Debtline and on 0808 808 4000, Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday 9.30am to 1pm.
Top Christmas Pleasures
Top 10 Christmas Dislikes
Sources:
*Survey of 200 people conducted by Gorkana Surveys on behalf of Allianz Global Assistance UK, December 2016
** Money Advice Trust Money Advice Trust Money Worries
About Allianz Global Assistance
Allianz Global Assistance is a globally renowned and specialized brand of Allianz Worldwide Partners for assistance services and travel insurance. Dedicated, multilingual teams work hand in hand with a vast, global network of service providers and correspondents and help people 24/7 by combining a unique human touch with innovative technologies and services. 250 million people, or 4% of the world’s total population, benefit from the services that this brand offers, which are provided on all five continents.
About Allianz Worldwide Partners
Dedicated to bringing worldwide protection and care, Allianz Worldwide Partners is the B2B2C leader in assistance and insurance solutions in the following areas of expertise: global assistance, international health & life, global automotive and travel insurance. These solutions, which are a unique combination of insurance, service and technology, are available to business partners or via direct and digital channels under three internationally renowned brands: Allianz Global Assistance, Allianz Worldwide Care and Allianz Global Automotive. This global family of over
16,000 employees is present in 75 countries, speaks 70 languages and handles 40 million cases per year*, protecting customers and employees on all continents.
For more information, please visit Allianz Worldwide Partners
*for 2015, excluding Global Automotive
