For the holidays, the majority of Romanians declare that one of the main activities is to visit others (58%), and more than half of the young people prefer to be guests, according to the most recent survey on Christmas activities and preferences in our country, commissioned by Carrefour Romania.

And responsibility

Winter holidays are the favorite time of the year for everyone, especially for the opportunity to spend more time with family, which is the most important activity for 41% of respondents.

But Christmas comes with a lot of responsibility, both for hosts and guests, with shopping ranking first among the favorite holiday activities (64% of respondents).

In December, Carrefour presents the winter holiday picture in Romania from the original perspective of how people choose to enjoy these moments with friends and family.

The survey results show that 64% of Romanians get into the holiday spirit when shopping and preparing for Christmas. And these efforts are crowned by the reunion with loved ones, which has special significance for more than half of them.

Young people (68%) see time as the most valuable resource and choose to dedicate it entirely to family and friends, taking their role as guests seriously. As they get older (after 35 years), Romanians gradually give up the role of guests for that of hosts.

"We set out to take a snapshot of how Romanians perceive and spend the winter holidays. We wanted to find out what energizes people and how they prepare for the festive season in 2023. And we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the most important thing for them is the time spent with loved ones. More than half of them embrace both the role of host and guest with great joy.

To successfully fulfill these two roles, we have prepared a series of promotional offers and a rich seasonal portfolio. Whether you are hosts or guests, you can find ideal products for Christmas meals or gifts at Carrefour stores, for extra magic with family or friends.

We are also delighted that year after year, Carrefour has risen in the preferences of Romanians, and now, 1 in 4 Romanians considers us their preferred destination for Christmas shopping. We thank everyone in this way and promise that we will meet expectations again this year," said Narcis Horhoianu, Marketing Director, Carrefour Romania.

What Christmas magic means for Romanians

Simple moments spent with loved ones harbor the true magic of Christmas. For most Romanians, Christmas is the most awaited event of the year.

More important than the role of host or guest, 41% of them appreciate the opportunity to spend time with family and friends in the comfort of their homes.

Only 13% expressed a preference for traveling during this period, according to the study initiated by Carrefour Romania and conducted by Cult Market Research.

Guest and host: well-defined roles

The role of the host has been and will remain to animate the atmosphere at the holiday table. Among activities such as shopping, preparing and arranging the festive table, 1 in 2 Romanians pay special attention to decorating the house when expecting relatives and friends to cross their threshold.

Out of the desire to make guests feel at home, Romanians take their role as hosts very seriously, even believing that it is their duty to cheer everyone up. For this, most (56%) say they love to go shopping for gifts.

A true ritual for hosts

For hosts, there is a real ritual of preparations – part of the joy of this festive season lies in the participation of each person in preparations.

According to the study, decorating the house and preparing food mainly falls to women, while men go shopping for gifts. All this against the backdrop of the inevitable sound of carols, a favorite for 1 in 4 Romanians.

The guest does not leave the table until tasting all the dishes

After a busy year, Romanians take advantage of the free time during the Christmas period and prefer to spend the holidays in tranquility, to relax, avoiding activities that consume a lot of energy (59%), preferable aspects from the guest's perspective.

Rather, they prefer to help the host prepare the meal while savoring a glass of wine together and making jokes among bites. The whole process turns into a ritual that foreshadows a successful evening.

Once seated at the table, the biggest concern of the guests is to taste as many dishes as possible, preferably a little of everything, as a sign of appreciation for the effort made by the hosts. Certainly, this year will not be missing from the Christmas table the traditional sarmale, the favorite holiday dish for 1 in 3 Romanians.

The gift, the calling card of the guest

Beyond the specific differences of the role, when it comes to gifts, people share the same joy – to surprise and be surprised. More precisely, more than half of Romanians are delighted to receive and give gifts to their loved ones.

The joy of receiving and giving is much more important than the content or category of the respective gift. Most Romanians see gifts as a symbol of appreciation and an exchange of positive energy.

Gifts are not missing from the shopping list, remaining at the top of expectations for guests, who must not visit empty-handed but must enter the host's threshold with a gift (49%), drinks (32%), and sweets (31%), or simply, food (22%). Romanians turn to online stores (53%), as well as hypermarkets, supermarkets, and malls to buy gifts.

Even though inflation is on the rise, and purchasing power is lower than in previous years, most Romanians (41%) allocate between 100 and 500 lei for their loved ones. The feeling of giving is still stronger. Parents and grandparents receive clothes as a gift, children receive toys, and friends receive various gifts, depending on their tastes.

About the study

In the interval of November 21-22, a representative online sample consisting of 610 people aged between 18-65 took part in the study initiated by Carrefour Romania and conducted by Cult Market Research.

Built on a quantitative research method based on an online questionnaire, the study provides up-to-date details on how Romanians spend their winter holidays in 2023 and how they share the responsibilities that come with the roles of host and guest.