From Elf on the Shelf to Christmas movies, traditions are a key part of the holidays. In fact, traditions feature heavily when we explore kids and teens hopes for Christmas and that’s no surprise because rituals and traditions are a fundamental part of the human experience.
They offer anchor points in stormy seas and remind us of the importance of human connection. The last few years have seen the growth of Christmas Eve boxes and matchy, matchy family outfits both of which are still popular, but some new traditions are appearing this year.
Christmas décor moves into the bedroom. Cementing the trend of kids and teens curating their own spaces, they are of course bringing a seasonal vibe to their precious spaces with a third of kids intending to put up a Christmas Tree in their bedroom. Boys are almost as likely as girls to be planning some Christmas décor.
Christmas movies certainly give us the feels, but kids and teens are also enjoying the build up by diving into “Christmas Tok”. 22% of kids in the UK and the US intend to turn to the channel for inspiration, hacks and tips and just to generally soak up the Christmas vibe.
Advent calendars are a key part of Christmas but this year 38% of UK girls are hoping for a gift-based calendar, most likely filled with beauty and skincare minis from their favourite brands. The aesthetics trend and TikTok advent opening videos are driving kids away from chocolate towards mini gift packages.
The season of gifting means that Boo baskets have been replaced by Burr Baskets with 31% of UK girls having heard of them and half intending to make a basket for that special someone. Filled with seasonal goodies that reflect the cosy vibe of the season they include things like cosy socks, hot cocoa mix, scented candles, plush blankets and more and are intended to be gifted during the build-up to the big day.
But whilst these new traditions begin to take hold, it’s always worth remembering that in ALL our conversations with kids throughout the year the thing they really prize above everything is shared time, especially with family. That’s why after decorating the tree and watching Christmas movies, playing games with family was the tradition that kids told us they are most looking forward to.
Want to keep up with the trends that are enthralling kids & teens? Get in touch with the team about our Beano Brain Omnibus and hear directly from kids themselves.