LONDON — Nothing says the holidays quite like a house covered in Christmas lights! It turns out festive adults string up nearly a mile of Christmas decorations during their lifetime — including more than 1,300 feet of tinsel, 841 holiday decorations, and over half-a-mile of lights!
A poll of 2,000 adults in the United Kingdom has revealed that more than half (54%) will invest in new trimmings for the home every winter. This ends up costing (when calculated in U.S. dollars) $62.42 each year to keep their displays looking current and fresh. It also brings the lifetime bill on Christmas decorations to a total of $5,049.
It also emerged that Brits pull an average of six Christmas crackers and fill four stockings with gifts each year.
“It’s amazing to see how many Christmas decorations we get through in our lifetime, and even more so that people are buying new trimmings every year,” says a spokesperson for Lottoland.co.uk, which commissioned the research in honor of its annual Christmas Lottery, in a statement. “Lots of people see decorating the house as a big family activity that brings everyone together, which is probably why all we invest so much time and effort into it.
“There are so many other things that bring people together at this time, such as the good food, parties and we even see people buying Christmas lottery tickets in groups over the festive period,” the spokesperson adds.
1 in 4 still use ornaments from 50 years ago!
The study also found 60 percent of those who celebrate Christmas put up decorations every year without fail. While 54 percent revel in trying out new lights and tinsel combinations each year, 27 percent have continued using their classics and still display decorations from the 1970s or earlier!
Despite wanting to make sure their home is at its festive best, 35 percent are making efforts to reduce the impact on their Christmas budget this year. As a result, decorations are low on the priority list for many, with eight percent taking aim at their lighting budget.
Reducing the amount spent on gifts is the prime candidate for cost-cutting in 2022, with 12 percent vowing to get savvier with their gifting. While nearly one in 10 will keep their yuletide well-wishing to social media, scrapping Christmas cards entirely.
Some shoppers are slimming down on Christmas groceries
Another 10 percent of those polled, via OnePoll, think they could make some changes to their Christmas food shopping routine to save some pennies as well — just as long as the roast potatoes stay. More than one in four (28%) think the carbohydrate staples are the highlight of the meal, while 24 percent prefer roast turkey.
Pigs in a blanket are a treat for 21 percent, while carrots (6%), mint sauce (6%), and the unspectacular addition of peas (4%) struggle to make an impact on festive dining.
A third are also making the effort to be more environmentally friendly and socially conscious with their Christmas habits this year, with an aim to eat less meat, buy less plastic, and use eco-friendly wrapping paper.
“Between fairy lights and tinsel, wrapping paper and cards there is a lot of plastic and paper being produced at Christmas time and it’s really fantastic to see that a third of Brits are making efforts to be greener this year,” Lottoland’s spokesperson adds.
“Even small changes can make a difference when everybody gets involved and we can promise it won’t diminish any of that Christmas magic.”
A Lifetime of Christmas in the United Kingdom:
- 1,381 feet of tinsel strewn
- 841 decorations dangled
- 3,343 feet of lights hung
- 477 Christmas crackers pulled
- 307 stockings stuffed
- 639 festive ornaments bought
- $5,049 spent on Christmas decorations
72Point writer Charlotte Minett contributed to this report.