Aussie rules

Britons will send more Christmas cards Down Under this year than to any other country, according to our latest research.

The survey of 2,000 UK adults saw Australian-based friends and family receive the greatest number of internationally-bound cards (34%), closely followed by the USA (32%).

Canada, France, Germany and Spain also featured in the most popular countries where cards are sent, with close friends, cousins and aunts the most common recipients of Christmas cards sent overseas.

However, our research revealed that a rogue 1% send a separate missive to the pet of a friend or family member, while 5% send them to ex work colleagues based abroad.

Handwritten Christmas cards are seen by those who are unable to spend Christmas with their families as one of the most thoughtful ways that loved ones can let them know that they are on their mind (13%). They are valued more than sending a present (4%), having a video chat (24%), or sending a message on any form of social media (6%).

Head of campaigns, Mark Street, said: ‘Christmas cards are an iconic facet of the festive season and a fantastic way of reminding someone that they are in your thoughts, so it’s really heart-warming to see that loved ones based overseas are often included on the annual list.’

Here the top 10 foreign destinations for our Christmas greetings:

1.           Australia

2.           USA

3.           Canada

4.           France

5.           Germany

6.           Spain

7.           New Zealand

8.           Republic of Ireland

9.           Italy

10.         Netherlands