British expats 'keeping Christmas traditions'

Thursday November 27th , 2008

Many British people living abroad plan to add traditional touches to their festive celebrations, a survey has found.

Twelve per cent of Brits abroad are planning a full traditional Christmas and a further 18 per cent hope to combine customs such as carol singing and roast chestnuts with local Yuletide habits, according to the Alliance & Leicester research.

A third of expats who have lived abroad for more than 20 years said they would be celebrating with local family and friends, with none of those surveyed claiming they would return to the UK for the festive season.

Simon Ripton, joint managing director at Alliance & Leicester, said: "Though many expats have no desire to return to the UK to live, they still carry on the traditions of their home country and miss certain aspects of Christmas.

"However, the survey produced surprising results – notably that the much moaned-about British weather was rated as the third most missed factor by 41 per cent of expats living down under."

Meanwhile, a survey released last week suggested that more than 400,000 people over the age of 50 are planning to move abroad.

Insurer RIAS said its research showed that Italy, Spain and France are the most likely destinations for these would-be expats.
ADNFCR-1210-ID-18899733-ADNFCR