The Hitwise newsletter is full of interesting information about website traffic, and what people are searching for online. This time around they’ve discussed the continuing growth of social networking websites in the UK.

Now you’d expect social networking websites (like Facebook, Myspace, Bebo) to be booming with traffic in December. Lots of people have more social time on their hands, are arranging nights out, and are generally getting into the festive social atmosphere.

On Christmas Eve, most people go off and spend time with our families, and don’t really emerge until New Years’ Eve. But do we really want to be cooped up with our relations? This research says a most resounding ‘NO!’

Christmas Day 2007 was a high point for traffic on Facebook. By the middle of the year that peak had been eclipsed, but yet again Facebook reached a new high on Christmas Day 2008. An incredible 4.7% off all website visits on Christmas day were for Facebook! So when we should have been drinking sherry, opening presents, gorging on turkey, watching TV and playing charades, we actually wanted to find out what our friends were up to!

Once you add in other social networking sites like YouTube, the numbers are even more amazing: 1 in 10 Internet visits during Christmas week were for social networking sites.

So when it comes to Christmas day, are you a Turkey Traditionalist? Or did you secretly boot up your laptop and check out Facebook? Leave us a comment below.