From the Christmas lights on Grafton Street to the carol singers around each corner, Irish people have named Dublin the most magical city at this time of year.
With 47% of the public agreeing, it beat Galway (19%) and Cork (10%) to claim the title. It was also named the best city for Christmas shopping.
Jurys Inn revealed the findings of a survey which asked the public about their Christmas memories and traditions.
“Ireland is beautiful all year round but there is no doubt its town and cities look especially dazzling during the Christmas period," said Suzanne Cannon, Head of Marketing at Jurys Inn.
"Our festive research shows that while the weather may be frightful outside, people don’t want to stay at home, with many preferring to take staycations in the lead up to Christmas to enjoy gift shopping or simply to indulge in some seasonal exploring."
Less than half of those surveyed said Christmas Day was their favourite day of the year. 18% opted for Christmas Eve while bank holidays (8%), birthdays (7%) and St Stephen’s Day (6%) were also mentioned.
It's the most nostalgic time of the year, and Irish people named their favourite memories of the season. Unsurprisingly, ‘Christmas with the family’ came out on top, with 61% of the vote. Watching The Late Late Toy Show was also a popular pastime with nearly a third (30%) of people confessing to staying up late to watch the Toy Show.
Catching up with friends and catching up on rest were some of the highlights mentioned. The majority (65%) said spending time with family and friends is their favourite part of the Christmas holidays, over ‘food’ (44%), time off work (43%), celebrating (41%) and tradition (41%).
Speaking of tradition, one of our favourites is one we adopted from the US. ‘Secret Santa’ is now one of Ireland’s most popular Christmas traditions with a whopping 77% of all adults polled having participated in the secret gifting initiative.
