Have you sorted a gift for everyone yet? Sure you haven’t forgotten one? If you find you haven’t bought all of your gifts yet, be quick, so you can be sure the gifts will reach you in time!
We were curious to know more about how our customers feel about gift giving. What do we like to give? Is there anything we would prefer not to give? How much do we spend? How do we feel about digital wish lists? We found out that half of our 2000 survey participants give a gift at least once a month, spending the most on a gift for their own family, children and in-laws. So many people love looking for and finding the perfect gift, and lots of people enjoy giving gifts just because they wish to surprise someone.
We also learned that our customers tend to stick to a budget when it comes to gift-giving, but often go big for Christmas, including going all-out on Christmas decorations for themselves and others. They decorate their Christmas tree with beautiful baubles and garlands, add beautiful candles to create a cosy atmosphere and often have a special tablecloth for Christmas dinner. All in all, we seem to love showing our loved ones how much they mean to us with carefully chosen, truly personal gifts.
There are lots of different Christmas traditions around the globe. Americans like to place their gifts in Christmas stockings, many Dutch and Belgian people like to go to midnight mass and the English always have Christmas pudding and mince pies. Let’s take a look at some more countries!
In Italy, Christmas is a three-day celebration. Our Italian colleague Feliscia told us that families in Italy traditionally enjoy seafood on Christmas Eve, calling it "La vigilia di Natale". One family opens their presents on Christmas Eve, while another opens them on Christmas Day. As Italy is a Catholic country, many families go to church and then gather for a delicious lunch consisting of a starter, two main courses and a tasty dessert. The traditional desserts served at Christmas are "Pandoro", a Christmas tree cake, and "Panettone", a luxurious Italian bread with sultanas, sugared nuts and sometimes pieces of chocolate. What a feast!
Maxence is our French colleague and was able to tell us that Advent calendars are very popular in France. Both for children and adults, creating your own Advent calendar is a favourite pastime. Maxence and her family celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, enjoying a dinner they call "Le Réveillon". The name comes from the verb réveiller, which means to wake up. They eat a lot at Christmas, but Maxence shared that they eat very slowly, allowing them to spend as much time together at the table as possible. Did you know that, in the south of France, there is a tradition where they eat no less than thirteen desserts? Yum!
According to our Finnish colleague Jessica, Christmas in Finland is all about cosiness, light, love, family and joy. Many families go to church at Christmas, even if they are not religious, to get into the Christmas spirit and feel part of the community. Gingerbread houses are very traditional in Finland, with families coming together to decorate the biscuit shapes with sweets. Christmas is a very important time of year, because it means the days are getting longer and lighter. Did you know that the real Father Christmas comes from Finland? You can find his elves, reindeer and the gift factory in Finnish Lapland. There is a very touristy Christmas town in Rovaniemi where you can meet Father Christmas, his elves and reindeer all year round. Such fun!
How will you celebrate Christmas this year? Make sure to order your gifts in time, so you and your family can enjoy unwrapping gifts together. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from everyone at YourSurprise!
If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out our blog full of Christmas gift tips and ideas .
