Millennials don't want to spend Christmas with in-laws, study claims

After working hard all year, some people prefer to spend the big day with their friends

Those polled also revealed thoughts on how the nativity story might differ were it to happen now. Pictured: angel Gabriel appears via Instagram to Mary ( SWNS.com)

One in 10 millennials secretly hope there will be no room for them at their in-laws' home over Christmas, a study has found.

Researchers polled 2,000 UK adults aged 21 to 38 and found the last thing participants wanted was to spend the holiday with their partner's parents.

Following a year of working long hours, they revealed they were now "desperate" for some down-time over the festive period, which meant spending it with the in-laws held very little appeal.

In fact, respondents confessed they believed three hours with them was more than enough.

The research, commissioned by Hotels.com, found a fifth of those polled preferred the company of friends.

A total of 15 per cent said they intended to go away on holiday with them, while a further 10 per cent per cent had plans for a get-together at some point over the festive period.

Adam Jay, president of the Hotels.com brand, said: “We all love getting together with friends and family at Christmas, and everyone celebrates it differently.''

Three in 10 of the survey's respondents who plan to meet friends over the season said they would cook Christmas dinner with them, while one-quarter will join them for a trip to the Christmas market.

Similarly, 20 per cent said they would partake in Secret Santa games, and 8 per cent would escape with friends for a mini break.

OnePoll researchers also explored what millennials planned to do on the day itself.

More than half said they would sit in front of the television to watch movies with Home Alone, Elf and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York voted the top three Christmas films.

More than one-third said they would spend time on social media, while 35 per cent plan to play board or card games.

Some said they would replace the typical roast dinner with an alternative festive feast, which includes vegan options and pizza, and one-fifth said they would avoid alcohol completely on the day.

Only three in 10 said they would wear a Christmas jumper.

However, despite the rise of new traditions, those polled were not quite so clear about the origins of Christmas. In fact, just 16 per cent of those polled said they knew the complete nativity story.

Four in 10 said they did not know that Jesus was a part of the tale while 37 per cent knew little about Mary and Joseph. Nearly half - 49 per cent - did not know about the Angel Gabriel's role, pollsters found.

Those polled also revealed their thoughts on how the nativity story might differ if it were to happen today.

One in 10 thought a unicorn would replace the donkey, 15 per cent thought the three kings could become queens, and 10 per cent claimed they believed the Angel Gabriel would appear to Mary via Instagram.

Additional reporting by SWNS