Romanians are heading into the 2025 holiday season with fatter budgets and higher expectations. According to a new Raiffeisen Bank survey, 65% of respondents say they expect to spend more this Christmas than they did in 2024, as another 26% plan to keep their spending roughly the same.
Gifts remain the heavyweight category in Christmas spending. 50% of respondents allocate 25%–50% of their total holiday budget to presents, 41% fall into the 500–1,000 lei spending range, while 26% push gift budgets to 1,000–2,000 lei.
The financial sources behind all this holiday cheer come from savings set aside in advance (47%), 46% depend on their December salary, and 18% swipe their credit card to bridge the season’s expenses.
When it comes to preparing the Christmas meal, the shopping pattern is clear: Supermarkets and hypermarkets dominate with 75%, Online shopping claims 36%, and nearly 30% choose local producers or farmers’ markets.
Despite the rise of online shopping and shifting budgets, traditions still anchor Romanian Christmas culture. The activities that officially “kick off” the holidays are decorating the Christmas tree and the house – 78%, buying gifts – 77%, deep cleaning the home – 71%.
The holiday remains largely a stay-at-home affair, as 50% od Romanians plan to spend Christmas at home, either alone or with family, 18% will celebrate with relatives or friends, and only 8% plan a vacation in Romanian resorts.
