The Top 12 Most Often Forgotten Christmas Items

No matter how much planning and preparation time we have for Christmas Day, when it actually comes to December 25th we always forget something. Always. Then the next year we make sure we absolutely positively will not forget the cranberry sauce...and we forget the crackers instead.

Tesco* have put together a handy list of what they think are the most forgotten Christmas items* each year. Presumably they get this data from looking at what sells in the last ten minutes of trading on Christmas Eve, or from the frantic phone calls received at their call centre trying to find a store that isn't closing for Christmas...

Here's the list they have put together - ring any bells?

1. Stuffing*. How could we forget the Paxo to go with our Christmas turkey? Quite easily as it happens, as this is the number one forgotten item.
2. Batteries*. Required in various sizes, shapes and amounts for all the brightly coloured flashing lights and musical sounds of the toys neatly wrapped under the tree, all with "batteries not included" written in minuscule letters in one corner of the box obscured by the "With Flashing Lights!!!!!" sticker.
3. Goose Fat*for those perfect Christmas roast potatoes.
4. Sellotape*. I'm the opposite, I tend to have about a dozen in the kitchen drawer just in case because I ran out once a few years back.
5. Kitchen Foil*. For the turkey, of course!
6. Double Cream*To make your Mince Pies or Christmas pud even more indulgent. Go on, it's Christmas...
7. Cranberry Sauce*: Everyone forgets that. It's a festive tradition. There's even a song about it, so I refuse to feel guilty for this one.
8. Gravy*: Ditto.
9. Pigs In Blankets*: Does anyone ever eat these on the other 364 days of the year? No wonder they get missed off the list. It's not going to be in the "my favourites" bit of the online shop is it?
10. Napkins*: I wouldn't stress too much about this one. Stick a pack of baby wipes on the table for all the sticky fingers and spills, there's always lots of those in the house.
11. Bin Bags or Liners*: You need about a thousand for all the leftover food, wrapping paper (seeing as so many councils won't recycle it!), broken baubles, pulled cracker detritus and ten tonnes of plastic wrapping around each little plastic toy the kids have been given.
12. Table Crackers*: Well if you do forget them at least you won't need as many bin bags.

Although there's just a few of us for dinner this Christmas there's still plenty to get, and I know I'm not very organised this year. It's crackers I know I haven't got yet, and although I have remembered them as I am writing, though if I remember them when I head to the supermarket is another matter completely. And that's crackers for cheese as well as table crackers. Oh and cheese.

So did Tesco get the list right or is there something they have forgotten too?