Top 20 Things We Forget Every Christmas!


Worried woman surrounded by Christmas presents.

Buying batteries, wrapping paper for last minute gifts and a card for the mother-in-law are among the top 20 things Brits forget every Christmas. Check the full list now to see if you are prepared!

A study of 2,000 adults reveals many struggle to remember everything in the lead up to Yuletide. Buying sellotape for presents, tin foil to wrap the turkey, and trimmings such as cranberry sauce and gravy for the table are among the most forgotten tasks at Christmas.

While others don’t remember to buy a relative’s favourite tipple or crackers to pull over lunch and one in six won’t fill the ice cube trays in preparation for festive drinks. One in 20 Brits have even forgotten to take the Christmas presents with them when visiting family and friends away from home. Unsurprisingly, more than half of those polled claim to feel their stress levels rising as the big day approaches.

Gary Kibble of Argos, which carried out the study via OnePoll.com, said: “December can be one of the busiest months of the year, as in addition to preparing for Christmas many adults are juggling work commitments with social arrangements and obligations to go to the children’s nativities, school fayres and church ceremonies.

“It can be almost impossible to fool proof Christmas completely, and yet Brits place so much emphasis on this one day of the year, we want to do everything we can to help.”

20 Christmas essentials your can buy or prepare in advance

Man in Christmas jumper at Christmas tree Pic: Shutterstock

Think you are prepared? Take a look at our checklist and see! Pic: Shutterstock

1. Buy Batteries

2. Make sure you have plenty of Sellotape

3. Make ice in your ice cube trays

4. Wrapping paper for last minute gifts

5. Tinfoil for the turkey

6. Napkins for the dinner table

7. Christmas crackers

8. Presents for extended relatives

9. Turkey trimmings – cranberry, apple, mint and bread sauce

10. Matches

11. Toilet roll, you don’t want to run out over the hols!

12. Buy your Christmas jumper – and remember to wear it!

13. Remember to take presents with you when visiting family and friends

14. Ready-made gravy

15. Relative’s favourite tipple

16. A mince pie for Santa on Christmas Eve

17. A vegetarian option

18. A card for the mother-in-law

19. Remember to switch on the oven on Christmas Day morning

20. Put the veg on in plenty of time – why not prepare them the day before?

10 items Brits are most likely to make a desperate dash for:

used batteries

Pic: iStockphoto

1. Batteries

2. Milk

3. Bread

4. A bottle of wine

5. A box of chocolates

6. Sellotape

7. Gravy

8. A Christmas present

9. Wrapping paper

10. Bread sauce

10 Christmas items you have to buy fresh for Christmas

With two days to go before the big day, make sure you have all these fresh essentials at home.

1.Turkey or meat joint for Christmas Day

2.Pigs in blankets

3. Fresh stuffing

4.Vegetables and potatoes

5.Your Christmas Day starter and dessert ingredients

6. Cream

7. Milk

8.Bread

9. Selection of cheeses

10. Fresh fruit


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Moira Chisholm

I'm the Health Editor on My Weekly and am always interested to hear what's new in this fascinating field. I also deal with the gardening, shopping pages, general features, our website content and the Ask Helen problem page. I have a special interest in Christmas content because I'm on the team for Your Best Ever Christmas Magazine, too!