Friends, family, hot drinks and the Pogues are our favourite festive rituals as the nation gears up for the Christmas commute, a new survey from Applegreen reveals.
The forecourt retailer has surveyed more than 1,000 road users to find the most common Christmas rituals and habits for Irish motorists over the festive season.
Over half (52%) of surveyed respondents indicated that people are what makes Christmas special, with the majority eager to reunite with loved ones this year.
“We had lots of fun with this survey but it’s also clear that there’s a huge amount of pent-up desire for Christmas this year,” said Kate O’Shaughnessy, head of marketing, Applegreen.
“People cannot wait to travel home and be with friends and family at this special time of year."
Travel Tune Traditions
The research revealed that some will travel across the country to see friends and family, while for others, only a short trip is needed for these much longed-for festive gatherings.
Christmas or not, disagreements about what to listen to in the car are not uncommon.
Unsurprisingly, the Pogues’ Fairytale of New York remains the nation’s most popular festive anthem, with 41% of survey respondents saying it’s their favourite.
Chris Rea’s iconic Driving Home for Christmas takes the runner-up spot, with 28% saying it best captures that festive spirit.
“The drive home for Christmas is a magical part of the whole celebration but it’s very important to stay safe, especially if the weather is poor,” O’Shaughnessy noted.
When it comes to pit stops, a traditional cup of tea is the beverage that most (34%) motorists want to have in their cup-holder at Christmas, with 32% preferring a warming mug of hot chocolate to keep out the cold.
Home Cooking
And once they arrive home, 29% of survey respondents say the thing they most look forward to is home cooking.
13% have more of a sweet tooth, saying that they prefer to indulge in the sweet tins and selection boxes over the Christmas period, rather than the traditional turkey and Brussels sprouts.
“Whether it’s for refilling or charging your car, picking up a few supplies, or just stopping to stretch the legs and grab a cuppa, Applegreen will be open throughout Christmas to provide our customers with whatever they need," said O'Shaughnessy.
2021 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern, For more Retail News click here. Click sign up to subscribe to Checkout.
