Results of our Winter Poll 2006

In November, the WellScotland team aimed to find out how people in Scotland were feeling about the fortcoming festive season. Were we looking forward to it or was the nation feeling stressed?

772 visitors to the website were surveyed throughout the month - view the results below:

1. Thinking ahead, as we build up to the festive season, will you feel?
23 (3%) Unanswered
182 (26%) Excited – really looking forward to it
238 (34%) It will be a good festive period
124 (17%) Not really bothered/not a big deal
83 (11%) Feel stressed just thinking about it
45 (6%) Can’t wait for the festive season to be over

  • The majority of people in Scotland are looking forward to a positive festive period this year, with a third claiming ‘It will be a good festive period’ for them and a quarter exclaiming that they were ‘excited – really looking forward to it’
  • In contrast, a third of people in Scotland are not so boyant about the festive period this year. Some 17% said they were ‘not really bothered/not a big deal’ for them, whilst one in ten (6%) said they felt stressed just thinking about it.
  • In addition, 10% said they can’t wait for the festive season to be over

2. What’s your favourite festive song?
0 (7%) Unanswered
115 (16%) Wizard – I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
120 (17%) Slade – Merry Christmas Everyone
152 (21%) Bing Crosby – White Christmas
80 (11%) Wham – Last Christmas
44 (6%) Mariah Carey – All I want for Christmas
49 (7%) Diana Ross & The Supremes – Santa Claus is Coming to Town
85 (12%) Andrews Sisters – Winter Wonderland

Festive Top 3 favourite songs:
21% - Bing Crosby – White Christmas
17% - Slade – Merry Christmas Everyone
16% - Wizard – I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday

3. What’s your favourite festive food?
25 (3%) Unanswered
63 (9%) Christmas pudding
334 (48%) Roast turkey & stuffing
105 (15%) Mince pies
101 (14%) ‘Pigs in blankets’ (sausages wrapped in bacon)
67 (9%) Don’t like/eat festive food

  • The classic roast turkey and stuffing was a clear favourite festive food among half of people in Scotland
  • Meanwhile 15% of sweet-toothed Scots chose mince pies as their favourite festive food, and surprisingly 14% chose 'pigs in blankets'

4. During this coming festive season, will you mainly be spending time?
23 (3%) Unanswered
528 (75%) With relatives
97 (13%) With friends
9 (1%) Among community/church groups
38 (5%) On your own

  • Three-quarters of people in Scotland will be mainly spending time with family this festive period, with a further 13% mainly spending time with friends.
  • However, for some (1 in 20) the festive season is a lonely time.

5. What is your favourite thing about the festive season?
24 (3%) Unanswered
122 (17%) Decorations/lights
34 (4%) Presents
321 (46%) Spending time with friends/family
35 (5%) Parties
159 (22%) Time off work

  • The best thing about the festive season for almost half (46%) of people in Scotland was spending time with friends/family
  • For approaching a quarter (22%), the time off work was the most appealing thing about the festive time – stress at work/leading up to festive period

6. What is your least favourite thing about the festive season?
19 (2%) Unanswered
47 (6%) Stress of lots of social events
111 (15%) Getting into debt
103 (14%) Putting on weight
90 (12%) Pressure to be ‘jolly’
296 (42%) Busy shops/high streets
29 (4%) Being on your own

  • The biggest bugbear for people in Scotland over the festive season is busy shops or high streets – even more of an issue for males (46%) compared to females (42%)
  • Similar proportions said that getting into debt (15%) and putting on weight (14%) were the worst things about the festive spell
  • For women these figures were marginally higher – 17% said getting into debt and 16% said putting on weight were the worst things about the festive season. For men this was 14% and 12% respectively
  • Interestingly, more than one in eight found the ‘pressure to be jolly’ their least favourite thing about the season

7. Which of these would you be most likely to do if you were feeling down and had the ‘winter blues’ this festive season?
24 (3%) Unanswered
113 (16%)Plan a ‘summer sun’ holiday
185 (26%) Get out and spend more time with friends and family
183 (26%) Do some exercise
54 (7%) Drink more alcohol
136 (19%) Curl up under a duvet and hide myself away

  • If feeling down with the ‘winter blues’, most people in Scotland said they would do something about it, by getting out and spending more time with friends/family (26%), or doing some exercise (26%)
  • Worryingly, one in five (19%) said they would curl up under duvet and hide themselves away if feeling down over the festive period

8. How many parties or events will you get along to this festive period?
72 (10%) Unanswered
0 (0%) None
48 (6%) 1
133 (19%) 2
163 (23%) 3
112 (16%) 4
74 (10%) 5
93 (13%) 6+

  • People in Scotland do like a party! And six out of ten (62%) of us will get along to at least three parties or events this year, with approaching a quarter (23%) planning to get along to five or more parties

9. Your gender:
20 (2%) Unanswered
178 (25%) Male
497 (71%) Female

10. Which age category do you fall into?
0 (0%) Unanswered
27 (3%) Under 20
179 (25%) 21-30
187 (26%) 31-40
176 (25%) 41-50
113 (16%) 51-60
13 (1%) 61-70
0 (0%) 71 or older

11. Which of these best describes the region you live in?
19 (2%) Unanswered
98 (14%) Central Scotland
7 (1%) Dumfries & Galloway
32 (4%) Fife
48 (6%) Grampian
41 (5%) Highlands & Islands
271 (39%) Lothian & Borders (including Edinburgh)
142 (20%) Strathclyde (including Glasgow)
21 (3%) Tayside
12 (1%) Outside Scotland