Christmas figured out: What we traditionally like to eat and do on the big day

Ham is tops at Christmas again this year, with lamb a close second at 31.2 per cent and beef at 10.9 per cent. Photo / Supplied

Have you got your Christmas glaze ready? The results of possibly the most important vote of the year are in – ham will be the most popular protein on Kiwis' plates this Christmas Day.

The result comes as part of the Great Kiwi Christmas Survey – the fourth edition of the poll run by Retail Meat New Zealand in conjunction with Beef + Lamb New Zealand.

The poll of more than 3300 Kiwis covers a range of Christmas traditions and debates, and this year saw pork take the lead with 36.2 per cent of the vote – 3.2 per cent up from the poll in 2020. Lamb follows closely at 31.2 per cent and beef at 10.9 per cent.

NZ Pork chief executive David Baines says it's no surprise following a year of Covid-19 lockdowns that Kiwis are excited to come together with friends and whānau to celebrate over scrumptious Kiwi kai.

"The holiday season is a time to celebrate – to catch up with friends and family you may not have seen for a while, to share food and spend time together. New Zealand ham is the centrepiece of many Kiwi family Christmas tables and it's no surprise why, it's a delicious, traditional favourite that guarantees plenty of leftovers to enjoy in the days following."

Of those polled, 61.2 per cent of respondents expect to have at least one or two days of leftovers - only 4.3 per cent manage to eat it all in one day.

Fifty-six per cent of Kiwis will be having two meals on Christmas day, with the majority sharing the day's festivities with more than 10 people (30.7 per cent). Cooking methods for the meat on the day are dominated by ovens and barbecues, capturing 62.8 per cent and 32.5 per cent respectively – which represents a further swing to ovens from 2020 when it was 61 per cent and 35 per cent.

Most people (37.3 per cent ) will take two or three days to prepare their Christmas meal, which will be enjoyed in the early afternoon (53.2 per cent). Only 1.7 per cent of people will be tucking into their meal in the late evening, after a day spent opening presents (79.3 per cent), playing backyard games (49.2 per cent), driving to other family members' houses (41 per cent) and sleeping (33.4 per cent), while only 5 per cent of Kiwis will be carol singing this year.

Most respondents agreed you can't have a scrumptious festive feast without dessert. The Kiwi favourite, pavlova, won out (70.6 per cent) with strawberries and ice cream coming in second place (45 per cent). Notably, for our cousins across the ditch, 97.9 per cent agreed that New Zealand created the meringue and all its whipped cream delight, first.

As with Pavlovagate, the survey also sought answers on some long-standing debates in a series of head-to-head match-ups.

On the musical front, Michael Buble took out the gold (52.7 per cent) with "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" pipping Mariah Carey and "All I want for Christmas is You" (40.8 per cent) as the must-have song on the Christmas playlist.

It must be noted that 78.9 per cent believe Christmas music should be played only during December (tell that to the 7.3 per cent of people who think it's okay to play all year round, and then again to the 5.2 per cent who believe it should never be played).

As for movies, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently weighed in on the "Die Hard" debate, believing it should be included in the Christmas film category. And 60.2 per cent of those surveyed agreed "Die Hard" should be officially classified as a festive film.

When it comes to gifts, 87.1 per cent believe adults should definitely get Christmas presents, while 93.1 per cent believe Christmas morning is the right time to open them (2.5 per cent will be opening as soon as they get them).

Spending time with family is the favourite part of the festive season for most - 61.6 per cent of those polled. We can all agree 2021 has been a tumultuous year, and while we can't snap our fingers and return to normal, we can take the time to celebrate with our friends, whānau and communities this holiday season. Stay safe and enjoy the festivities, you deserve it.

Retail Meat New Zealand and Beef + Lamb New Zealand wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.