Christmas is nigh, and people all over the world are gearing up to spend time with their families, give thoughtful gifts to the people they care about, and listen to the same songs over and over again.

For some of us, though, the true meaning of Christmas is eating and drinking – so much that we spend January depriving ourselves in an effort to make up for our festive overindulgence. But which Christmas foods spread good cheer? We asked British, German, French, and American consumers just that.

In the US, roast turkey/ham takes the top spot, cited by three in ten consumers (29%). Roast chicken/beef – the latter beloved by the Grinch himself – takes second place (15%). Among Britons, roast chicken/beef (19%) is at the head of the festive menu, followed by cheese boards/platters (16%). It’s the same story in France (18%), although a seafood platter takes the second spot (16%).  Germany is an outlier in that a sweet food, Christmas cookies, takes the top spot (17%) – as well as the second (gingerbread cookies – 16%) and third slots (stollen/fruit-bread 10%).

The top Christmas drinks in the US, Britain and France

Looking at drinks, mulled wine has a solid showing in Britain (34%), where a third say it should be the official holiday beverage, and in France, where it claims second place (23%).

Eggnog claims first place in the US (40%) – although it polls under 10% in other markets – while hot chocolate wins out in France (30%). In fact, hot chocolate is the top multi-market performer, with a sixth of Britons (17%) and a quarter of Americans (25%) believing it should wear the Christmas crown.

Image: Getty

Explore YouGov Surveys

Subscribe to your sector newsletter