Counting the days to festivities

Published on 02/12/2012 00:00

THE typical family Christmas takes 12 days, 14 hours and 13 minutes to organise, according to new research.

From shopping for presents and putting up decorations to cooking Christmas dinner, parents spend almost two weeks trying to make 25 December as special as possible.

The study by retailer Wilkinson found that the average British family begins organising and saving money for Christmas in the last week of August.

However, one in seven buy gifts in the January sales, almost a year ahead.

It found that nine days, 15 hours and 48 minutes are spent researching and shopping for festive gifts. Wrapping them takes three hours and 26 minutes and writing cards, two hours and 31 minutes.

A total of three hours and six minutes is spent retrieving decorations and hanging them, according to the study, which surveyed 2,000 parents across the UK. Two days, ten hours and 48 minutes is taken up thinking, planning and shopping for food for Christmas dinner and a further two hours and 34 minutes spent preparing the festive feast and laying the table.