NEWS COPY
A staggering seven in 10 Brits will be apart from family and friends on Christmas Day - and will instead share the day digitally, according to research.
Christmas is traditionally the time of the year when families assemble to share the special day together.
But a survey of 2,000 adults has revealed a third (33 per cent) live too far away from loved ones, while one in six (15 per cent) don’t have the funds to visit family over the festive season.
To stay in touch, more than two-thirds of those polled said they will share a video call with family on December 25.
Technology has transformed present opening, with an estimated nine million broadcasting this via Facetime or Skype, while a projected seven million will even share Christmas dinner digitally with loved ones who can’t be present.
And with a Christmas Day visit out of the question, a fifth of respondents are instead choosing to get together as a family on an alternative date.
Early December and New Year’s Day are the most popular times for an ‘Alternative Family Christmas’ with almost a third (29 per cent) of Brits celebrating ‘Christmas Day’ after 25th December.
The research was commissioned by Thorntons Continental, which is reuniting families for Christmas this year as part of its ‘Pass The Love On’ campaign.
Families were told they would be able to see relatives via a virtual reality headset - but when they removed the devices, they were stunned to see their loved ones physically in the same room having travelled huge distances to be there.
This includes Alison Stead, who was reunited with her son, Alwyn, a teacher who is based more than 5,000 miles away in Bangkok.
Alison, from Barnoldswick, North Yorkshire, said: “When I took off my virtual reality headset and saw him actually standing there, it was surreal.
“I was so shocked. It has meant so much to me to be able to spend time with him this Christmas, a real dream come true.”
The OnePoll survey for Thorntons also revealed it is the season of goodwill after one in 10 said either they, or their family will be volunteering with a charity on Christmas day.
The chocolate maker is also working with the charity SSAFA, which supports servicemen and women, veterans and their families.
A donation of sales of all Thorntons Continental products sold in Thorntons-owned stores and on the Thorntons website will go directly to SSAFA.
Ian Tweedale, marketing director of Thorntons, added: “We’re so pleased to have been able to reunite families and help them ‘Pass The Love On’ through our Continental Journeys Competition again, making their Christmas dreams come true.
“The Continental Journeys Competition brings to life what our charity partner SSAFA, does. SSAFA supports our servicemen and women, veterans and their families at this time of the year and all year round when their loved ones are away.
“We are both united in recognising that together or apart, Christmas is all about families showing each other that they care.”
ENDS
