For many across the country, the countdown to Christmas is well and truly on, but how are Brits planning to celebrate the festive season this year?
To better understand, Virgin Experience Days ran a nationwide survey to explore whether people are rethinking their traditional Christmas celebrations – and whether what they want for Christmas is changing too.
The rise of the anti-ordinary Christmas
The survey revealed that 36% of Brits are choosing to celebrate Christmas ‘unconventionally’ with the top ways being opting for Friendmas instead (10%), spending the day travelling or on holiday (21%) or celebrating Christmas on another day entirely (10%).
As for Friendmas specifically, 15% of Brits said they would be open to celebrating Friendmas over their traditional Christmas festivities, with 8% having already opted for this alternative in the past.
On a generational level, it becomes clear that the younger generation is most likely to have an “anti-ordinary” Christmas. 61% of those aged 18-24 are celebrating Christmas in an untraditional way, with 30% of this age group participating in Friendmas in 2025. One in four are travelling on Christmas Day and a further 18% will be on holiday. 7% of this group will also be spending Christmas at work, significantly higher than the older generations which have an average of 2% of Christmas Day workers.
So, we know that Gen Z is rethinking the way in which they celebrate Christmas Day, but why?
Commenting on the trend towards anti-ordinary Christmas, Dr Jo Gee explains: “Statistics show that our younger Brits are almost twice as likely to celebrate Christmas unconventionally, with Gen Z valuing authenticity, wellbeing and self-expression over tradition. Recent research outlines how young adults are prioritising experiences that align with their mental health and identity, viewing solo or alternative celebrations as acts of empowerment and self care.
“There is also an increasing emphasis on ‘chosen family’ in which meaningful friendships are seen as vital to wellbeing, replacing traditional family rituals. With rising social, financial and work pressures, we also see people choosing to spend Christmas in a way that feels restorative.”
Gen Z choosing to celebrate Christmas in less traditional ways is not about rejecting connection, they’re simply redefining what meaningful connection looks like – sometimes that is with family, or friends, but other times with yourself.
45% of 18–24 year olds say “anti-ordinary” celebrations feel more meaningful than traditional ones, showing that while their celebrations are more personal, they’re still seeking those cherished, meaningful moments.
Forget physical presents, Gen Z wants quality, solo experiences for Christmas
Interestingly, this sentiment extends to what Gen Z are wanting for Christmas this year. When asked what type of gift they would most like to receive for Christmas – a physical gift they have asked for, a surprise physical gift, a voucher for a solo experience or an experience with a loved one or friend – the most common answer was a voucher for a solo experience. 30% of those aged 18-24 would most like to be gifted an experience for one.
The younger generation might be leading the trend, but “anti-ordinary” celebrations are on the rise across the nation
Whilst Gen Z leads the way, being the most likely to celebrate or to have celebrated anti-ordinarily, it’s a broader movement across the generations too.
As revealed by the survey, 81% of Brits are in fact open to celebrating an “anti-ordinary” event or milestone, such as becoming debt-free, completing a marathon or getting a new pet, so we can expect a bigger wave towards this celebration style beyond Christmas in 2026 and beyond.
For more insight on the anti-ordinary campaign and to find available case studies of Gen Zers having alternative Christmas Day plans, please visit: https://www.
