New survey reveals Mum’s are the star of Christmas, with Brits anticipating their reunion with them more than anyone else

Love it or loathe it, there’s no denying that festive time of year is here again, and many Brits have already begun preparing for the big day.

Whether it’s gift wrapping, bagging a turkey, or the dreaded travel planning, the Christmas checklist can feel endless and is something we all have to get through over the festive period. They’re making their lists, they’re checking it twice, and they’re arguing about who’s going to be the designated driver this year.

A new survey by Asda Money has polled the nation to find out what we love and hate the most about the festive season – and has discovered that the official start of the festive season for Brits is December 1st, with 27% stating this is when they feel Christmassy.

The new study also found that Brits head home for the festivities at 10am on 22nd December and will drive an average of 116.8 miles during the week of Christmas.

Despite the demands that can come with Christmas, almost a third (32%) of Brits state that it is their favourite time of the year, particularly for women, as 37% agreed, in comparison to 25% of men. Gen Z are the most excited for Christmas with 29% confessing that they start to feel excited for Christmas as soon as summer ends.  

A fifth (20%) of Brits say that Christmas is the ONLY time of the year that they get to see all their family at once – but that doesn’t stop Brits admitting they can only spend three days with their family before they’ve had enough. Gen Z are the most tolerant of family time, averaging 3.4 days before they need some space, while their parents (those aged 45-59) can only handle about 2.7 days.

Interestingly, out of all family members, the nation looks forward to seeing their mum the most (25%) in comparison to other family members, such as their siblings (14%) or even their dad (7%).
However, the research found one element of Christmas that leaves us in the cold – tackling the icy weather (51%), bad traffic (42%) and dark evenings (39%) on the nation’s roads. Not being able to enjoy a drink at the celebrations (33%), long queues (31%) and continually having to scrape the car (27%) are also considered the worst things about driving at Christmas.

The average Brit drives a whopping 116.8 miles over the Christmas period, and because of the Christmas traffic, leaves almost two hours earlier than usual to get there on time. 

Four in ten (45%) admit that Christmas car journeys cause an average of three arguments over the festive break with what time to leave home (42%), the best time to go home (38%), the quickest route (36%) and plotting out the directions (27%) the main causes of arguments.

Almost a quarter of Brits (23%) also argue about how to pack the car, which is no wonder as this year a whopping average of 10 presents will need to be stuffed into the boot, according to Asda Money’s survey.
Music plays a vital part of our festivities with one in ten (11%) admitting that they ONLY listen to yuletide tunes when driving – although 27% argue about what music they’ll be listening to.

Regarding Christmas car journey conditions, Gen Z are certainly the most particular, with 31% arguing about their Christmas journey playlist choice and almost a quarter (21%) arguing about what snacks they want most for the journey.

The downfalls of driving at Christmas are about more than just long queues and questionable directions coming from the passenger seat. Over half (51%) of Brits stated that the worst thing about driving at Christmas is the icy weather, with bad traffic (42%) and dark evenings (39%) coming in as the other top concerns. 

Almost a quarter (24%) of Brits even fear the aggressive drivers on the roads at Christmas, a hazardous thing during a period where so many accidents and breakdowns happen.

Ed Doherty, Insurance Product Manager at Asda Money, who commissioned the research, comments: “We love Christmas at Asda Money, and it’s no surprise Brits feel the same. These days, the drive home for Christmas, or the drive to see any loved ones, is as much a part of the festive period as putting up the tree and eating a minced pie.

“Of course, during the winter we do have almost guaranteed icy roads and cold temperatures across the UK which, combined with heavy traffic and impatient drivers, can be cause for concern. We encourage all drivers to check their cars ahead of the journey, making sure tyre pressure and oil levels are all okay, and ensure you have all your insurance details to hand so if the worst does happen, you know you’re protected. If your car insurance is up for renewal soon, you can visit Asda Money to find out more about comparing car insurance quotes.”
Wherever your Christmas journey takes you, having a comprehensive motor insurance policy that gives you invaluable peace-of-mind while you’re on the road is essential – to find the motor insurance policy that best suits you, compare quotes from over 60 of the UK’s top car insurance providers with Asda Money’s price guarantee where they pledge to beat a cheaper online quote* plus, up to 70% no claims discount.