8 biggest Christmas 'icks' revealed by Brits, including giving up your room

Laura Hampson
Updated ·3-min read
Portrait of disappointed young woman sitting at her home office desk and opening a Christmas icks gift box.
One of the biggest Christmas icks for Brits is receiving presents they don't want or need. (Getty Images)

The festive season is here, and we’re all gearing up for the big day. Yet, while the holiday season can bring oodles of joy and cheer, it can also bring plenty of Christmas icks.

Not unlike romantic icks – in which you get turned off from the person you’re dating because of something they do or a characteristic they have – Christmas icks are the biggest frustrations we have during the festive season, the things that make us grimace.

One new survey from St. Modwen Homes has found the biggest festive frustrations for Brits include spending a bit too much time with the in-laws, getting constant heartburn from overindulging in cheese, and having a fridge full of goodies that no one’s allowed to touch.

  • Having family over

  • Giving up your room for guests

  • Chatting to people after you’ve eaten but all you want to do is sleep

  • Not being allowed to touch any festive food until Christmas day

  • Everyone taking over your living room

  • Sorting the wrapping paper from the presents

  • Cleaning up all the rubbish the day after

  • Receiving presents like socks, weird books, and too much hand cream

The survey also asked Brits who their favourite family members were, with the majority listing their cousin.

When asked what the best Christmas presents were, most people said either a plane ticket, money, or an engagement.

As for board games, the game Frustration was listed as the worst, while Cluedo and Connect 4 were considered the best. So keep that in mind when challenging your Aunty Patty to a game this year.

A couple in love in elegant fashionable outfits embrace, rejoice and celebrate the Christmas holiday in a bright luxury decorated interior with Christmas trees in the living room of the house. A young man in a suit and a woman in a dress hugging give each other Christmas gift boxes and a New Year's Eve party in the stylish shiny interior of the apartments in winter indoor
An engagement was named as one of the best presents for Christmas. (Getty Images)

The respondents kept it classic when asked what their favourite Christmas traditions were, with the winners being playing Mariah Carey music, watching Christmas films, drinking mulled wine, and having a takeaway on Christmas Eve.

"Christmas is a happy and magical time. But with so many family gatherings and so much pressure culminating in one special day, it can also feel quite intense – which is why it’s particularly easy to get irritated at this time of year!" Jo Winston, Sales and Marketing Director at St. Modwen Homes, says.

"Despite this, the word on the street when we spoke to the British public was that people love their festive traditions and spending Christmas at home with all the family. Welcoming guests into the home, spending quality time with the family in a warm and cosy environment and seeing the kids playing together are all unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime."

If you are looking to avoid a family fallout this year, a psychotherapist has given their top tips on how to successfully manage conflict here.

Watch: London Luton Airport employs present-wrapper just like Rowan Atkinson in Love Actually

Latest stories