The 20 traditions that divide the nation at Christmas
Outdoor Christmas decorations, where to hang the stocking and whether to watch the Queens Speech top list of seasonal squabbles that split the country down the middle
Arguments around Die Hard being a Christmas movie, the merits of panto and whether to put sprouts on the table also loom large when it comes to seasonal spats
Study commissioned by TV channel Dave, to celebrate the launch of Daves Advent Calendar, a selection of festive comedy shorts each night at 9pm until Christmas
Festive outdoor decorations, watching the Queens speech and whether to eat the Christmas meal in the afternoon or evening are among the top traditions that divide the nation during the festive season.
The best location to hang a Christmas stocking, drinking alcohol before noon and whether turkey should be the seasonal centre-piece were also named as key festive flash points.
The study of 2,000 British adults by TV channel Dave, shows it is not just the big issues like Brexit which divide the nation as we approach the festive break. The new study was commissioned to celebrate the launch of Daves Advent Calendar, daily comedy shorts in the lead up to Christmas Day with exclusive episodes from Sally Phillips, Josh Widdicombe, Jon Richardson and twenty other comedians, every night, at 9pm, on Dave and UKTV Play.
The survey shows that it is the nation that gets carved up at Christmas as much as the traditional roast, with opinions deeply divided over the festive fundamentals. It shows the issues which are most likely to create an even split nationwide.
__
The top 20 Christmas traditions that leave the nation MOST divided are revealed as:
Christmas decorations outside of the house
Christmas lunch or dinner
Watching the Queens speech
Alcohol before noon on Christmas Day
Sunday best or Christmas jumpers on Christmas Day
Stockings - above the fireplace or at the end of the bed
Sprouts on the table
Turkey as main Christmas Day dish
Angel or star at the top of the tree
Christmas Day walk
Watching TV as a family or on your own
Giving Christmas stockings to loved ones
Spending more than 24hrs with family at Christmas
Sending Christmas cards
Owning an advent calendar
Going to the pub on Christmas Day
Pre-Christmas gifting
Agreeing Die Hard is a Christmas movie
Attending church over the Christmas period
Watching a Christmas pantomime
Festive foods cause some of the biggest divides between the generations, with less than half (46%) of 18 - 40 year olds liking sprouts with their Christmas dinner compared to 62% of Brits aged 40 and over, showing it is not just Theresa May who has tussles over Brussels. In fact, one in ten (10%) millennials would swap a Brussel spout for an avocado for their Christmas lunch.
When it comes to choosing a festive meat, 61% of respondents over 40 opt for a turkey for their Christmas dinner, whilst less than half (49%) of 18 - 40 year olds would choose the traditional bird.
Interestingly, over two in five (42%) British 18-40-year olds enjoy the age-old tradition of visiting a church for a Christmas service, in comparison to less than a quarter (24%) of those aged 40 and over. When it comes to pre-Christmas gifting 46% of 18-40-year olds will be handing out presents to friends and family ahead of the big day, whilst only 27% of those aged 40 and over will entertain gifting presents early.
Nearly a third (31%) of Brits aged 18-40 said they are likely to make ethical purchasing decisions, whilst only 16% of those aged 40 and over said they would buy an ethically sourced gift this Christmas.
Brits are largely united in their love of Christmas, with over half (54%) agreeing that the festive season starts at the beginning of December - a time when people start getting stuck into their advent calendars. On Christmas Day itself, the average Brit reaches for their first alcoholic drink at 12.56pm.
Luke Hales, channel director for Dave, said:
Its fascinating to see that outdoor Christmas decorations divide opinions down the middle - for half of us they lower the tone of the neighbourhood whilst the other half revels in the bright glow of LED light.
We were actually hoping to prove that the nation was united but dont worry, Dave is bringing the nation back together every night of December at 9pm, with a lovely festive comedy short, from some of our favourite comics. I think we can all agree that laughter is essential over the Christmas period and hope you all enjoy our lovely festive advent calendar and enjoy a daily laugh on us.
Results reveal a North vs. South divide as almost nine in ten (88%) Northerners are eager to open their presents ahead of Christmas lunch, compared to 68% of Southerners.
Results also reveal a regional divide. Three-quarters (75%) of Northern Irish citizens prefer to agree on what to watch as a family, while only 43% of Welsh people like to watch their favourite shows in solitude at Christmas.
Londoners are the ultimate Royalists. Half will tune in to watch the Queens Speech compared to 30% of Scots. The study also found that 61% of Scots prefer an artificial tree they can whip out of the loft to avoid picking up pine needles, while two in ten (20%) Londoners opt for no tree, stating that a Christmas tree takes up too much room.
Daves Advent Calendar, exclusive daily comedy shorts, starts from Saturday 1st December until Tuesday 25th December, featuring comedy favourites such as Sally Phillips, Josh Widdicombe, Jon Richardson, and 20 other familiar faces, every night at 9pm on Dave. The shorts are also available to stream at uktvplay.co.uk
For more information contact, please contact Frankie Allen at Taylor Herring on 0208 206 5151 or FA@taylorherring.com
Notes to Editors: Survey of 2,000 British adults by 3Gem in November 2018.
About Dave Sky 111/24
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner CCATech
Industry veterans Carlos Abrah o and Bruno Lopes strengthen local support and expand IPCs prese...
20/08/2026
Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment with MTC Jockey Club
Worlds Oldest Horse Racing Club in the Southern Hemisphere Selects Zixis Softwar...
20/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research assistant professor Tiantian Liu has received a five-year NIAID DP2 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Di...
20/08/2026
Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen 20 August 2026
Dr Georgie McClean, Dr Rebecca Huntley (L-R)
By Dr Georgie McClean and Dr Rebec...
20/08/2026
How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image displays a student about to mix be...
20/08/2026
Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Reality TV veteran Eric Gardner create...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
The 20 traditions that divide the nation at Christmas 
