The winter holidays are approaching, and Romanians have already outlined their plans for the upcoming festive period. According to the latest research conducted by iSense Solutions, we discover what traditions they still uphold and how the rise in prices has affected the budget allocated for this period.

Where will they spend the holidays?

Most Romanians (64%) plan to spend their winter holidays at home, in a close family setting, while 21% opt for an extended family celebration, and 11% prefer to celebrate at home with friends. 16% say they will go to relatives' homes, 9% to friends, and only 7% mention they will go to the mountains within the country.

However, when it comes to preferences and if they could choose any destination, 37% would prefer to spend the holidays in a mountain cabin, 23% on a tropical beach, 22% would stay at home, and 17% would choose a lively city with festive lights.

What traditions do Romanians still observe?

The winter holidays begin with St. Nicholas, so 51% of Romanians say they will prepare their boots for St. Nicholas to bring gifts, and half of them (51%) will visit Christmas markets for an authentic holiday experience.

When it comes to traditions, whether inherited from the family or of a religious nature, over half of Romanians say they receive carol singers (58%), while 30% go to church, and 22% observe the Christmas fasting period.

As for holiday activities and customs, 70% say they will cook traditional dishes, 71% will exchange gifts, 82% will decorate the Christmas tree, and 66% will place gifts under the tree.

Of those who said they would decorate the tree, over half prefer an artificial tree (58%), 23% prefer a cut natural tree, while only 12% choose a potted natural tree, and 3% a tree from their own yard.

Caroling traditions are less practiced, with 26% of Romanians choosing to go caroling on Christmas Eve, 8% go with the "plugușor," and 5% go with the "capra" or bear.

What foods will Romanians prepare this year?

The menu for those who will cook traditional dishes includes stuffed grape leaves or cabbage rolls (64%), the famous "salată boeuf" (64%), sweetbread (53%), fresh or smoked sausages (45%), "piftie" (jellied meat) (45%), mulled wine (39%), polenta to serve with traditional dishes (30%), "caltaboși" (blood sausages) (28%), "tobă" (head cheese) (26%), and gingerbread cookies (11%). They declare that they will spend an average of 740 lei on the prepared foods.

Romanians give gifts and perform kind gestures for loved ones

89% of Romanians say they will give gifts to family members, 44% to friends, and 26% to coworkers. Those who intend to buy gifts prefer online shopping (69%), supermarkets (65%), malls (54%), holiday markets (33%), artisan/handmade stores (23%), or antique or second-hand shops (7%).

Most people make a gift list and buy them in advance (69%), while the rest go just a few days before the holidays (31%). Regarding the allocated budget, the average amount allocated for gifts is 816 lei.

The presented data is part of the iSense Solutions Omnibus study, representative research for the internet-using population in urban areas.

The study was conducted on a sample of 520 respondents from November 13-16, with a maximum margin of error of +/- 4.3%, at a confidence level of 95%.