With Christmas now just seven weeks away, a report into key trends has given a sneak peak into what the festivities of 2021 may well look like.
And it's good news for pigs in blankets but bad news for Brussels sprouts as Tesco lifts the lid on how we plan to spend this Christmas.
Just under two thirds (63%) of UK adults claim pigs in blankets to be their favourite Christmas dinner trimming, a massive 24% increase on last year.
Go here for more what's on updates, news and reviews from around the North East
Although Brussels sprouts came in second place at 61 per cent, the veg's position as a festive staple might be at risk, with a clear pattern emerging that the vegetable’s popularity is waning with each generation.
Those aged 75+ are the biggest advocates, with 65 percent declaring their love for them, but this drastically drops to just 26 percent when it comes to 18-24-year-olds.
When it comes to the centrepiece, turkey is still king, with 68 percent of UK adults planning to tuck into a turkey roast on the 25th, although a quarter (27 percent) of UK adults will be catering for vegan, vegetarian or plant based guests this Christmas.
While we’re looking for a return to normality overall, there are new trending occasions that Tesco predicts could become traditions in the not-too-distant future, such as Christmas brunch.
The supermarket’s data revealed a trend for an earlier celebratory meal on Christmas Day, with the festive brunch gaining in popularity particularly among younger adults (18–34-year-olds), a fifth of whom said they would replace their traditional Christmas lunch in favour of a brunch affair.
But whatever the meal, it’s also got to look great - almost a third (31 percent) of younger adults (18-34-year-olds) plan to put in extra effort to make their festive offerings more Instagrammable this year.
Food innovation is a key trend for Christmas 2021, with over a third (38 percent) of UK adults seeking out innovative dishes and products. Ways in which they plan to do this include looking to social media trends for inspiration.
With a desire to return to pre-pandemic celebrations, it’s no surprise that the nation is keen to embrace the festive season like never before. Nearly half (47 percent) of the people surveyed want to spend more time with family than in previous Christmases, while over one in 10 (12 percent) families re planning on putting the tree and decorations up by the end of November.
But when it comes to New Year, 18 percent of 18–34-year-olds started a new New Year’s Eve tradition last year that they’ll be continuing this year - the ‘big night in’.
Other key trends for this year’s festive season include a growing thirst for no and low alcohol, increasingly ‘conscious’ celebrations and a desire for a more sustainable Christmas, with with over one in 10 (11 percent) 18-34-year-olds asking for charity donations in lieu of Christmas gifts.
