2 in 5 Welsh Homes Will Host an Unexpected Guest this Christmas

A Modern Christmas Tale: The Welsh Are Embracing New Traditions with Friends & Family Under One Roof 

• Over two thirds of Wales are happy to embrace new traditions at Christmas
• Almost 1 in 5 will spend Christmas Day with friends
• 40% of Wales have had an unexpected guest turn up on the day

In a delightful departure from tradition, Christmas 2023 is set to showcase the evolving spirit of Welsh family and social gatherings. New research indicates a heart-warming shift towards inclusive celebrations that blend families, friends, and even unexpected guests into the festive mix.

As part of its One Roof, One Christmas campaign, One4all Gift Cards has surveyed 1,009 UK adults, uncovering some of the new ways families are deciding to spend their Christmas Day – with 70% of Wales revealing they’re happy to embrace new traditions or guests for the day.

70% of Wales said they typically spend the day with additional guests beyond their immediate family, with their partners’ siblings, in-laws, and neighbours all potentially bagging an invite.

40% of Wales revealed they’ve had an unexpected guest turn up for Christmas Day, with 18% of respondents even revealing friends have made an appearance at the dinner table.

And with all these extra guests stopping by, it’s no surprise that more than 1 in 4 (25%) revealed they’ve had to change their plans to accommodate another guest’s requests.

From indulging in two dinners to please the in-laws, last-minute dog-sitting duties until the new year, and even a quick trip to the hospital as a guest went into labour, it’s good news to hear that over half (53%) haven’t let these changes turn into a disagreement with their family.

1 in 6 (15%) said they’ve introduced new traditions as part of someone’s culture or religion, including a festive bike ride, attending mass, or indulging in cuisines from around the world. Almost 1 in 5 (18%) said they’ve eaten something different to a traditional Christmas dinner to accommodate new guests.

The survey also revealed Christmas traditions which some families have had to adopt from their partners, including door-to-door carol singing and putting up less-than-appealing Christmas decorations.

And whilst 29% of Wales said they embraced their partners’ traditions, 6% admitted they don’t enjoy doing these at all.

But above all else, the most important traditions families like to stick to on the day were to eat a particular meat at dinner and open their presents at the same time every year.

As part of their campaign, One4all Gift Cards has partnered with TV personality and presenter Ferne McCann to share how she celebrates Christmas with her family.

Ferne, who has recently given birth to her daughter Finty with fiancée, Lorri Haines, who also has a daughter, Sunday from a previous relationship. Discusses how she plans to spend the festive season with her blended family.

“This Christmas is a particularly special one for me and my partner as it will be our first with our newborn Finty. It’s such a special time of year, bringing together our children, friends and family under one roof to celebrate.

“Every year our Christmas morning begins with a tradition that we’ve always stuck to – the whole family has to wait until after breakfast before we can open presents!

“Food is an important part of our celebrations too, growing up I was always on stuffing ball duty on the big day. I’ll be passing this tradition down to Sunday this year so she can get involved in preparing the Christmas dinner and she loves helping my Mum make her famous homemade sausage rolls and mince pies too.

“As it’s Finty’s first Christmas, we’ll be introducing a new tradition to our festivities. I love the old-fashioned traditions and making Christmas about the people who are in your life all year round. So, I’ll be hosting a little Christmas carol get together in my home on Christmas morning, with family, friends and neighbours. It’s a lovely way to bring everyone together on this special day.”

Lou Hickey, Marketing Director at One4all Gift Cards, commented, “Christmas can be a wonderful time of year for many, who love nothing more than celebrating the season with their favourite traditions, spent with their closest relatives.

“But it’s natural that some of us are now adopting new traditions, spending the day a little differently as many families grow and change shape, welcoming extended family and friends under one roof on the big day.

“Whether we are embracing different cultures, inviting our neighbours to pull up a chair, or even carving something other than a turkey for dinner, our survey revealed that Wales is happy to incorporate new traditions and new guests into their day.

“If anything, it adds even more magic to Christmas. Also, with the potential of unexpected guests joining for the day, a One4all Gift Card can easily double up as a last-minute present or be spent on additional food and decorations to accommodate everyone.”

The most common unexpected traditions Wales has had happen at Christmas are:

1. Spending the day visiting multiple family members (63%)
2. Having an unexpected guest join the day (35%)
3. Eat something else besides Christmas Dinner (18%)
4. Introducing new traditions related to culture or religion (15%)
5. Having an ex turn up at Christmas (3%)

Give a gift of choice with a One4all Gift Card that can be spent with more than 170 brands in-store or online with participating retailers. Available to buy from your local Post Office, Tesco, selected Morrisons, Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi, Poundland and Iceland supermarkets nationwide, and online at one4all.com, ranging in value from £10 to £120.

For more info, please visit https://www.one4all.com/