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As one of the most important dates in the Christian calendar fast approaches, it may come as a surprise to many that the majority of the nation does not see Easter first and foremost as a religious festival.

New research reveals that over two thirds of people in the UK associate Easter with chocolate, while nearly one in ten think of Easter as just an extended bank holiday. And over 10% of Brits see Easter as having no religious connotations at all!

In fact, according to the survey by British luxury chocolate retailer, Hotel Chocolat, the UK sees receiving chocolate Easter eggs as nearly ten times more important than spending time with family over the Easter period.

Surprisingly, the research also suggested that our profession has a significant influence over our attitude towards Easter. Those working in the legal and education sectors are least likely to think of Easter as a religious festival while those in the Human Resources department have a slightly different view - with over 80% citing chocolate eggs as the only thing that matters during Easter! And if you work in the health care industry you’re most likely to be looking forward to the extra time off.

If the study is anything to go by it would seem that getting the right Easter Chocolate egg is crucial to a happy fun filled four days. However, Hotel Chocolat claims that more than half of the UK considers cheap chocolate as the worst thing about Easter eggs, and would rather pay extra for the chocolate quality, ahead of the sheer size of the egg.

So if you think that spending time with a chocolate egg is more important than your family make sure you get it right.