These are the top 20 Christmas mishaps

Nine in 10 adults experience mishaps over the festive period - including tangled fairy lights, running out of gift wrap and accidentally smashing beloved baubles. Other festive faux pas include leaving price tags on presents, bickering over boardgames, and one in 10 people admitted to having hidden a present so well they found it years later. 

A poll of 2,000 adults who celebrate Christmas found 64 per cent want the holiday season to be perfect each year, with over a quarter saying it’s their favourite time of the year. The research, commissioned by Haribo, also found 62 per cent are comfortable when things to go wrong.

Enjoy the chaos

Four in 10 (42 per cent) see the funny side of minor disasters and 17 per cent say a mishap even makes it feel like a ‘real’ Christmas, while 41 per cent believe these events become amusing stories and memories to share, and three in 10 (29 per cent) see the funny side and let out a big belly laugh when something doesn’t go to plan. 

The sweet creators ran the research to launch the limited-edition Haribo Christmas Mishap Bingo Box - a family game which turns festive frustrations into family tales and Christmas-time fun.

Spokesperson Phil Murphy said: “The festive season doesn’t have to be perfect… the mishaps of today should be the enjoyable memories of the future, but only if we embrace the childlike fun and see the lighter side of life.

“We’ve created this game to encourage everyone to see mishaps with the wide-eyed wonder of a child - as they are often the first ones to see the funny side. Every time a mishap happens at home, simply shout 'Bingo' and open the matching window to find your sweet treat.”

Mishaps build character

The study found more than a third (37 per cent) say blunders happen because there is too much to think about, and 31 per cent find it a stressful time of the year. When something goes wrong and people need to remember what Christmas time is all about, 37 per cent spend time with friends and family and 24 per cent enjoy a sweet treat, according to the OnePoll research.

The sweet maker also created a quiz to see how people fare when mishaps happen – are you a ‘Mistletoe Marshmallow Meltdowner’ or a ‘Sensible Sweetie’?

Phil Murphy, from Haribo, added: “The toppled trees, the turkey troubles - these are the mishaps we look back on and laugh about."

The top 20 most common Christmas mishaps

1. Tangled fairy lights
2. Eating too much and feeling stuffed
3. Smashing a bauble by mistake
4. Running out of fridge/freezer space
5. Running out of gift wrap
6. Accidentally leaving a price tag on a present
7. Batteries not being included in a gift and not having any in the house
8. Not getting a present for someone who bought one for you
9. Rubbish weather ruining a festive walk
10. Dropping food on the floor
11. Rushing to buy last-minute gifts on Christmas Eve
12. Pets pulling down decorations
13. Christmas tree falling over
14. Forgetting to buy someone a present
15. Getting stains on your favourite outfit
16. Leaving a gift at home
17. Hiding presents and finding them years later
18. Family arguments over board games
19. Not having enough space to sit at the Christmas table
20. Power cuts