Christmas, Northern Ireland-style: Tesco survey reveals local festive habits with a local twist

Christmas cheer is officially on the horizon, and according to Tesco’s latest festive survey, households in Northern Ireland are once again proving that they like to do things a wee bit differently.

The supermarket giant surveyed people across the UK to uncover Christmassy habits, traditions and food preferences. While 92.73% of people in Northern Ireland plan to celebrate Christmas this year, the findings suggest that the Province takes its own approach to festivities — particularly when it comes to food, family and what really matters on the big day.

Tastes even better the next day

Food takes centre stage everywhere at Christmas, with Christmas Day breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner topping the list of favourite festive food moments in both Northern Ireland and the UK. December-long Christmas dinners follow closely behind in second place.

Where Northern Ireland really stands apart is what comes next. While Christmas Eve dinner claims third place across the rest of the UK, households here place far more value on turkey leftovers, whether that’s in sandwiches, the inevitable turkey curry or a more sustainable ham and turkey pie.

Both Northern Irish and UK households are practical when it comes to leftovers, with sandwiches remaining the most popular post-Christmas meal. Freezing leftovers or reinventing them into curries also ranks highly — though hopefully not for too many days in a row.

Turkey, ham and roast beef: the Holy Trinity

Turkey reigns supreme as the centrepiece of Christmas dinner for both Northern Ireland and UK households. However, preferences begin to diverge beyond that.

In Northern Ireland, ham and all the trimmings take a close second place, while chicken fills that spot across the UK. Roast beef remains the reliable third option on both sides of the water.

The trimmings showdown

Cauliflower cheese fans may be disappointed, as the good-old sausage roll is non-negotiable, topping the list of favourite Christmas dinner trimmings for everyone.

After that, Northern Ireland opts for heartier fare, favouring meat stuffing — including popular combinations such as pork and chestnuts — alongside perfectly crisp roast potatoes (duck fat optional).

Across the UK, however, households appear firmly Yorkshire pudding-obsessed.

Sweet (and timely?) treats

Getting into the festive mood often starts with a treat. As soon as December arrives, Christmas fans in Northern Ireland can’t wait to get stuck into a box of chocolates first, followed by mince pies.

Across the UK, the order is reversed, with mince pies coming first and chocolate second. Everyone agrees on Christmas biscuits in third place.

The survey also uncovered a shared festive “crime”: having to re-buy products because they were eaten before Christmas. In Northern Ireland, chocolate, cheese and desserts, and biscuits top the list of culprits, while in the UK biscuits and mince pies feature prominently.

Festive signals

Nothing signals that Christmas has officially arrived quite like putting up the tree, which remains the first sign of festivities for households everywhere.

After that, Northern Ireland gets into the spirit with festive tunes in shops (“It’s tiiiii-iiime”) and Christmas films on TV. The UK crowd, meanwhile, is more likely to be motivated by heart-warming Christmas adverts and festive decorations.

Santa snacks

Mince pies and milk remain top of Father Christmas’ menu in both Northern Ireland and the UK. However, a Tesco meal deal — complete with seasonal snack, side and drink — takes second place as a perfectly acceptable alternative for the big man.

Merry mayhem: the realities of hosting

Hosting stress is universal, with cooking the main meal and cleaning up ranking as the top two pressures across both Northern Ireland and the UK. However, while the dread of cleaning and preparing the house comes in third place across the UK, 40.91% of interviewees in Northern Ireland blame tricky family dynamics for a not-so-merry Christmas.

As is often the case during the festive season, “everyone is a chef”, and in both Northern Ireland and the UK the worst “hosting ick” is criticism of the food.

In Northern Ireland, frustration also centres on guests who don’t help clear up and those who overstay their welcome. Across the UK, hosts are more likely to be annoyed by misbehaving guests or children, as well as people who refuse to take part in the post-dinner clean-up.

What makes Christmas fun?

In Northern Ireland, playing games and watching family films beat the thrill of opening presents as the most enjoyable part of Christmas Day. In the UK, the joy of unwrapping gifts wins out, albeit by a narrow margin.

Party food preferences also reveal subtle differences. Crisps and dips triumph in Northern Ireland, while cheeses take the crown across the UK. Sweet treats and puddings remain a shared festive favourite.

For households in Northern Ireland, mince pies and spiced fruits are the most iconic Christmas flavours, followed by turkey and stuffing and the classic brie and cranberry combination. Across the UK, turkey and stuffing dominate, with mince pies and spiced fruits in second place and Christmas cake or pudding rounding out the top three.

A wee bit different — and proudly so

As Tesco’s festive survey shows, while the spirit of Christmas is shared across the UK, Northern Ireland continues to celebrate in a way that feels comfortingly familiar and proudly local — from making the most of turkey leftovers and prioritising family games over presents, to embracing festive music, indulgent treats and a good sense of humour.

It may be a wee bit different, but for many households, that’s exactly what makes Christmas in Northern Ireland so special.