12 Studies of Christmas: A Very Average Christmas Dinner
Every household is adamant that their “Christmas dinner” is the definitive version. But there is actually much more variation than you might think. For this installation, we ran a survey with 100 participants across the UK to find out the average Christmas dinner.
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What time do people sit down for their main meal?
Unsurprisingly, 91% eat their meal on Christmas day itself, with a very small minority tucking in on Christmas eve. Almost two thirds eat at lunchtime on Christmas day, so we’d best get our dishes prepared early.
What’s the nation’s favorite drink for Christmas?
The festive period is a boozy few days for many and Christmas day is no different; 70% of those surveyed have a tipple of some sort with their meal. According to our study, it’s a tie between wine and its sparkling cousin. So we made an executive decision to fill our glasses with sparkling wine for our compilation Christmas dinner. It truly is the most wine-derful time of the year!
What’s the main part of a UK Christmas meal?
Turkey, the iconic Christmas meat, topped the list for the main component of the banquet. But only half of participants opted for it, with many preferring chicken, ham, or fish.
The only vegetarian option we included in our survey was nut roast, which got 7% of the vote, but an additional 5% specified their own veggie dishes. Veggies, some participants had some suggestions for you. Next time why not try vegetarian sausages, beetroot soup, dumplings, or a vegetarian toad in the hole?
What’s the UK’s favorite way to cook Christmas potatoes?
Most of us consider potatoes a requirement for Christmas dinner, but 5% of those surveyed have absolutely no potatoes at all! 82% went for the reliable roastie as their spud of choice so it’s far and away our clear winner.
How loved are Brussels sprouts?
Brussels sprouts might get a lot of hate, but two-thirds of responses said they’d be putting them on their table this year. Is this because it’s a tradition that just can’t be squashed, or does the nation have a new sprouting love for these bitter green balls of goodness?
What’s the nation’s favorite Christmas side dish?
For their preferred side dish, other than spuds and sprouts, a third of our participants shunned vegetables in favour of pigs in blankets. A further 21% chose stuffing as the runner-up.
Which Christmas desserts are most common?
Though Christmas pudding and mince pies are the most traditional of Christmas desserts, the Yule log came out on top with 31% of votes. But 21% are opting to stay on the savoury train, wrapping up the feast with a round of cheese and biscuits.
In summary, here’s what the UK’s very average Christmas dinner looks like
It’s on Christmas day at 12.30pm and we cheers each other with sparkling wine. Turkey is the star of the show, accompanied by roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, and the much defamed Brussels sprouts. Don't forget to leave room for dessert - the festive Yule log.
Just 3% of our participants would be completely happy with our meal, matching every single top answer! How does this compare to your own Christmas dinner?
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