KEY POINTS:
Forget beach barbecues or watching the Queen's message on Christmas Day - New Zealanders prefer a roast at home and a bit of backyard cricket.
A Reader's Digest Christmas poll shows 94 per cent of people will eat at home on December 25 - and most prefer it that way.
But being at home does not mean the TV is a big pull - less than half of us plan to watch the Queen's traditional speech.
But not all traditions are dispensed with so easily.
Forty-two per cent of people admit they will wear a coloured hat as they tuck into dinner, and at least a third say they will allow their picture to be taken while wearing the unflattering headgear.
The poll, released today, surveyed 259 people. It shows nine out of 10 Kiwis expect to spend Christmas with family and friends. For three-quarters of those surveyed, a roast and pudding is the preferred meal.
Just 3 per cent will have Christmas dinner at a restaurant - although the thought of not cooking or having to wash up appeals to nearly one in five people.
The poll also reveals changes to other tradition. Just 10 per cent say the religious message is the most important thing about the festive season, while only 6 per cent say giving and receiving gifts is the highlight.
Touring streets decorated with festive lights is popular for more than half of people, while a quarter choose to decorate their own homes with lights.
And although two in three New Zealanders send Christmas cards, a third of people hop online to pass on season's greetings.
Dr Jeremy Robertson, acting director at Victoria University's Roy McKenzie Centre for the Study of Families, said the changes in Christmas traditions here reflected the country's increasing diversity.
"A lot of our Christmas traditions came from England and are set in the winter time, but this doesn't quite feature in the New Zealand summer."
The poll was also welcome at a time of year often extremely stressful for families, he said. "It's quite good to think about Christmas and think what you want from it and how you want to celebrate it - it doesn't have to be about preparing big meals and getting stressed out."
The poll also reveals what most mums could already tell you: women are more likely to be active on Christmas Day, phoning relatives, cooking, cleaning and wrapping presents.
Men tend to be slothful with more than a third expecting to drink too much, play backyard sport, watch TV or take a nap.
CHRISTMAS TURN-OFFS
Watching the Queen's message.
Making a Christmas fruitcake.
Going to church.
Carols by Candlelight.
Buying a real Christmas tree.
Hanging Christmas stockings.
WHAT WE CHERISH
Celebrating with family.
Eating a roast dinner and Christmas pudding.
Eating inside.
Sending Christmas cards.
Decorating the tree as a family.
Santa Claus.
Buying all the family a present.
