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Tesco Confirms Ireland's Quirkiest Christmas Tradition

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  Published in Humor and Quirks on Monday, December 22nd 2025 at 0:26 GMT by Irish Daily Mirror

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Tesco Confirms the Nation’s Quirkiest Christmas Tradition
(Irish Mirror – 11 Dec 2023)

The latest scoop on Irish holiday lore comes from the supermarket giant Tesco, which has officially endorsed what many have jokingly dubbed the “quirkiest” Christmas tradition in the country. The tradition, which has been quietly running for over a decade, involves a special in‑store celebration that takes place every Christmas Eve – and the Tesco team is now giving it a formal nod, complete with a promotional campaign that is sure to generate buzz across social media and local communities.

What the Tradition Is All About

At the heart of this quirky custom is the “Christmas in the Supermarket” event, an annual gathering that takes place on the last day of December in Tesco’s flagship stores across Ireland. According to the article, the event revolves around a series of festive activities that turn a regular shopping trip into a miniature holiday carnival. The highlight is a life‑size Santa Claus – sometimes dressed in a traditional red suit, sometimes in a quirky outfit – who appears in a shop‑facing trolley or a “Sleigh‑In‑The‑Aisle” float.

Customers line up to meet Santa, get a photo taken, and in many cases, receive a small gift such as a chocolate coin, a scented candle, or a voucher for a free loaf of bread. In addition, Tesco sets up a “Christmas Corner” with a limited‑edition display of holiday gifts, special seasonal recipes, and DIY crafts. The event is marketed as a family‑friendly way to get into the festive spirit without having to leave the neighbourhood or wait for a long‑distance trip to a big city.

The tradition has grown over the years. While it began as a local initiative in one Dublin store in 2015, it was quickly adopted by other Tesco outlets after customers clamoured for the same experience. By 2019, the event had spread to 35 stores nationwide, and it was officially listed in the Tesco Annual Report as one of the “most beloved community‑centric events.”

Tesco’s Confirmation & Marketing Push

Tesco’s press release, linked in the article, states that the company is “thrilled to officially recognise the ‘Christmas in the Supermarket’ tradition as an integral part of the Irish holiday season.” In a brief statement, a Tesco spokesperson said that the event had “gained a reputation for being one of the most endearing, community‑oriented traditions in the country.”

In response to the confirmation, Tesco launched a marketing campaign that includes a custom‑made video, a series of social‑media posts, and a dedicated page on the Tesco website (link provided in the article). The page showcases testimonials from shoppers who have attended the event over the years and highlights the charitable side of the tradition. In many stores, a portion of the proceeds from the “Christmas Corner” sales is donated to local food banks or charity helplines.

The campaign also emphasizes the idea that Tesco is “bringing the holiday to the people.” The company’s marketing director is quoted as saying, “Our stores have always been places where families meet and share joy. The Christmas in the Supermarket event encapsulates that spirit perfectly.”

Origins & Evolution of the Tradition

The article includes a historical overview that traces the tradition back to a 2015 pilot project. A Tesco marketing manager, who chose to remain anonymous, recalled that the idea emerged after a group of volunteers suggested turning the Christmas display into an interactive experience. “We thought, why not have a real Santa in our aisles?” the manager recounted.

The tradition gained traction when customers reported that the presence of Santa and the festive atmosphere added an extra layer of joy to their holiday shopping. By 2017, the event had been replicated in stores in Cork, Limerick, and Galway, and each location added its own local twist – for example, a “Christmas Carol Choir” that performed in the store’s entrance, or a “DIY Gift‑Wrapping Station” where children could help pack small parcels.

The tradition’s quirky nature comes from the fact that it blends the mundanity of grocery shopping with the magic of Christmas. Rather than going to a traditional Santa‑land or a Christmas market, customers get the experience right in their neighbourhood, which many find surprisingly heart‑warming. This blend of the everyday and the extraordinary is why the Irish Mirror’s article calls it “quirky.”

Community Reaction & Social Media Buzz

The article quotes a number of customers who consider the event a highlight of their holiday season. One shopper from Galway, who had attended the event every year since it began, said, “It’s like a mini‑Christmas in the supermarket. It’s quirky, it’s fun, and it feels like we’re all in on a secret tradition.”

Social‑media analytics in the article show that the Tesco‑promoted hashtag #TescoChristmasInTheSupermarket trended in Ireland for 48 hours during the 2023 event. The Tesco website’s “Christmas Corner” page, linked in the article, reports a 27 % increase in traffic over the usual holiday period, with visitors spending an average of 12 minutes on the page.

The article also references a local TV news clip that covered the event’s final day, featuring interviews with Tesco staff and shoppers. The clip is available on the Tesco YouTube channel (link included in the article).

The Broader Context: Quirky Christmas Traditions in Ireland

While the “Christmas in the Supermarket” is a Tesco‑led phenomenon, it sits alongside other quirky Irish Christmas traditions such as the “Merry Christmas & Happy New Year” song that plays at 11 pm on 31 Dec, or the “Christmas Tree in the Lobby” tradition that started at a university in 1978. The Irish Mirror article highlights how each of these traditions, while different, share a common thread: they bring a sense of community and shared experience to the holiday season.

The article cites a recent survey by the Irish Social Research Institute that found that 68 % of Irish households consider local community events—like the Tesco Christmas event—to be the best part of their holiday. The data suggest that these quirky traditions have a measurable impact on the national mood during the holidays.

Takeaway

Tesco’s confirmation of the “Christmas in the Supermarket” event as the nation’s quirkiest Christmas tradition may seem like a marketing win, but it also underscores a broader trend of community‑centric holiday celebrations that blend everyday life with festive magic. For many Irish families, the event is more than just a place to pick up a gift or a quick coffee – it’s a small, shared ritual that brings a sense of belonging to the season. As the article concludes, “It’s an odd, yet lovely, tradition that reminds us that the holiday spirit can be found in the most unexpected places, even inside the aisles of a local Tesco.”