A survey of 2,000 British adults, commissioned by Egmont Publishing (publisher of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories), reveals that whilst two thirds (60%) of us think festive traditions are important to the celebrations, classic activities such as roasting chestnuts are losing favour to more modern pursuits.

One in three (33%) of those surveyed said that playing ‘parlour games’ as a family (such as charades) is the festive pleasure that needs saving the most.

This was followed by carol singing (31%) and making paper chains to decorate the home (28%).

The research inspired a series of classic Winnie-the-Pooh illustrations by Mark Burgess (in the original style of E H Shepard), to remind the nation of the joy in these much-loved but slowly dying traditions. You can see the illustrations below, accompanied by text from some of the beloved Winnie-the-Pooh stories.

Christmas traditions worth saving before they’re lost, as illustrated by Winnie-the-Pooh