One in five festive cooks carry out a 'trial run' to ensure everything runs smoothly on Christmas Day. Research involving 2,000 adults who've undertaken Christmas dinner preparation showed that 77% will devote an average of one hour and 43 minutes to preparatory work on Christmas Eve, aiming to make the next day's cooking as smooth as possible.

Items such as carrots, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, and even gravy foundations are amongst the components people strive to perfect beforehand, avoiding the Christmas Day scramble. Yet this advance preparation doesn't entirely eliminate anxiety, with precise timing and managing several dishes simultaneously remaining the primary obstacles.

A bit of planning and preparation can go a long way (Image: Getty Images)

The investigation also revealed

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