Six in 10 adults would like to celebrate Christmas in another country – to escape holiday stress at home or avoid a British washout.
A poll of 2,000 adults who celebrate Christmas found 53 per cent of those would like to make new memories in a totally different setting.
While 45 per cent want to enjoy festive food from another cuisine and 31 per cent would meet up with pals who already live abroad.
With the USA, Australia and Spain among the top international destinations where people would love to spend December 25th.
Along with Canada, Germany and Switzerland.
But 40 per cent would like to try out the Japanese tradition of tucking into mountains of KFC on Christmas Day, rather than a typical roast.
The research was commissioned by Lottoland.co.uk to mark this year’s El Gordo Spanish Lotto draw [https://www.lottoland.co.uk/christmas-lottery].
A Lottoland.co.uk spokesperson said: “We get so used to celebrating Christmas in a certain way.
“But there are loads of really fascinating traditions to explore from around the world, and the good news is you don’t have to fly to Japan to try a lot of them out.
“It’s not too hard to do a quick online search to find a new tradition from Madrid to Perth and incorporate it into your own festivities.”
Despite a desire to head overseas to celebrate, 76 per cent of those polled said a British Christmas dinner is still the best thing a person can possibly eat on December 25th.
But if they did celebrate the day away from home, 67 per cent would be likely to try a local festive dish.
A quarter (25 per cent) would be most curious to try the Feast of Seven Fishes served in Italy, while almost one in 10 (eight per cent) fancy the taste of mantecados – shortbread – served in Spain.
However, 48 per cent would miss the classic meal with all the trimmings, while 31 per cent would feel strange not seeing all the familiar TV specials and festive programming.
And despite moaning about the UK weather, 27 per cent would miss a cold, crisp winter climate if they went somewhere warmer.
As 43 per cent believe Christmas isn’t ‘complete’ without a cosy festive jumper, according to the OnePoll.com data.
Nearly seven in 10 (69 per cent) would be open to adopting totally new festive traditions if they did go away for the big day.
And they’d most want to capture that feeling of togetherness (32 per cent), while 20 per cent would aim for excitement and 16 per cent nostalgia.
Lottoland.co.uk’s spokesperson added: “Spending Christmas abroad offers a fresh perspective on the season.
“Whether it's swapping snow for sunshine or discovering new festive traditions, there's something magical about experiencing the holiday through a different cultural lens.
“But wherever you celebrate, being with the people you love, or at least connected to them, is truly the most important thing.”
TOP 10 COUNTRIES PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO TRY CHRISTMAS IN:
1. United States
2. Australia
3. Italy
4. Canada
5. Spain
6. France
7. Germany
8. Switzerland
9. Norway
10. Iceland
