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More than one in 10 Scots say favourite Christmas tradition is watching Die Hard

The poll was commissioned by the charity Mary’s Meals, which holds a virtual Big Family Christmas to raise funds to feed hungry children worldwide.

Mark Davey
Friday 03 December 2021 00:01 GMT
Morven Macgillivray, supporter engagement manager at Mary’s Meals, presenting ‘John McClane’ with a Big Family Christmas certificate (Mary’s Meals/PA)
Morven Macgillivray, supporter engagement manager at Mary’s Meals, presenting ‘John McClane’ with a Big Family Christmas certificate (Mary’s Meals/PA)

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More than one in 10 Scots say their favourite Christmas tradition is watching Die Hard, featuring Bruce Willis as John McClane, according to a survey.

But for 67% of Scots, Christmas dinner is the favourite tradition, the charity poll found.

Decorating the Christmas tree was favoured by 52% of people surveyed, for 12% it was their Christmas night out and nearly a third said they loved eating leftovers.

The Scotland-based charity Mary’s Meals, which provides more than two million children with a nutritious meal every school day in 19 of the world’s poorest countries, commissioned the poll.

Each December the charity holds a virtual Christmas dinner, Big Family Christmas, to raise funds to feed even more hungry children.

Last year, nearly 9,000 people around the world took part in the fundraiser.

Morven Macgillivray, supporter engagement manager at Mary’s Meals, said: “Every year, I set a place at the Mary’s Meals virtual Christmas dinner for my mum, and she sets one for my brother and myself.

“It has become a family tradition.

“This year I’m extending that Christmas tradition to include a place at the table for the star of Die Hard, John McClane!

“As he famously says in the film, welcome to the party, pal!”

In return for a donation of £15.90 – enough to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year – people can take part in the Big Family Christmas.

They will receive a certificate to print at home and their name, or the name of a loved one, will appear on the charity’s virtual dinner table alongside names from across the world – including the hero of Die Hard.

This year Mary’s Meals will benefit from a match-funding campaign, Double The Love. All donations made to Mary’s Meals before 31 January 2022 will be matched  by a group of  supporters, up to a total of £1.6 million, meaning that each place set at the online Christmas table will feed two hungry children.

The charity feeds children in Malawi Liberia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Kenya India, South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Benin, Lebanon, Syria, Myanmar, Thailand, Ecuador, Madagascar, Romania and Niger.

The poll of 2,000 UK adults was conducted by One Poll between November 19 and 23.

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