ADULTS in Nottinghamshire will have their best ‘grown up’ Christmas at age 34 according to research commissioned by intu – the company that owns both intu Broadmarsh and intu Victoria Centre in the city.
The festive research, which was analysed by much-loved children’s TV presenter and mathematician Johnny Ball, polled more than 2,000 Brits about their attitudes to the Christmas period.
It found that on average adults in the East Midlands felt their best-ever childhood Christmas takes place at the age of nine, with receiving presents, decorating the tree and Christmas dinner with the family all contributing towards a nostalgic festive buzz that for a lucky 20% never wavers.
More than half of respondents (55%) said that the seasonal magic starts to wane at the age of 20 when family stress, cost and the pressure of getting the right presents adds up to a less than joyful Christmas with some 45% preferring to sleep in than getting up to celebrate – but by the time you reach 34, the charm of the festive season returns.
Johnny Ball said: “Nine may be the ‘magic number’ when it comes to having the best Christmas ever but it’s wonderful to think there are perhaps two generations of Christmas joy – being kids and then rediscovering the Christmas spirit as an adult.
“As a parent and grandfather, I always love the idea of a fun, relaxing festive shopping trip that invites us all to step ‘intu’ the mind of a child and relive the magic of our childhood again and again.”
Parenthood and having children that are old enough to enjoy Christmas is cited as a key driving factor to reigniting yuletide joy, with 81% of the people surveyed who are parents saying they experience the joy of Christmas through their children.
But even without children, the social playful aspects of being with friends and family (67%) and continuing with family traditions (69%) are the most important contributing factors to enjoying Christmas in adulthood, even more so than receiving Christmas gifts (40%) and wanting to believe in Father Christmas (15%).
Nottingham’s intu Broadmarsh and intu Victoria Centre have a host of festive fun taking place throughout December to capture the hearts of customers young and old – with everything from a 5D Santa’s Grotto and a special ‘Elf Yourself’ station to get people into the Christmas spirit.
Nicola McCabe, marketing manager for both centres, said: “As we get older, it’s easy for the hustle and bustle to get in the way of a really enjoyable Christmas, so this year we are inviting all our customers to come and play in our centres this festive season.
“The city comes alive at Christmas time and we have a host of festive fun on offer across our centres to help make this a really wonderful Christmas for our customers.
“The 5D Santa’s Grotto is back at intu Broadmarsh, giving children to become a part of Ella the Elf’s festive adventure as well as meet Father Christmas himself. Customers who want to make a day of it can also take advantage of our ‘Skate and Santa’ package where visitors can purchase a ticket for the Grotto and the Winter Wonderland ice rink for a discounted price.
“At intu Victoria Centre, customers can visit our dedicated ‘Elf Yourself’ station where Santa’s little helpers will be on hand with elf hats and rosy cheeks to give our little shoppers a festive makeover.”
For more information visit www.intu.co.uk/christmas to find your nearest centre, details of what’s on and opening hours.
