Six in ten Britons say Christmas is their favourite festival
Christmas season is well and truly upon us, with advent calendars beginning to be opened and a growing number of Britons having put up their decorations (30% by Monday). Christmas is long hyped in the run-up to 25 December, something not all are fond of, but does it fully deserve its reputation as Britain’s top festival?
Put simply, yes. Six in ten Britons (61%) say that Christmas is indeed their favourite holiday or festival, double the three in ten (29%) who favour an alternative.
When considering the favourite holidays of those who say Christmas isn’t top of their list, it would be an understatement to call Christmas’s victory a landslide. Easter, the most commonly listed other holiday, is the top choice of just 5% of Britons, with Halloween and New Year each the first preference of only 3% of the public.
Not everybody, though, wants to get into any kind of festive spirit, with 8% of Britons saying they have no favourite festival or holiday at all. Older Britons are less likely to be into any festival, with 12% of those aged 65 and over saying they have no favourite holiday, compared to only 3% of 18-24 year olds.
How does Christmas compare to other holidays?
While Christmas might easily come out on top when asking for Britons’ favourite holiday, that doesn’t necessarily mean they dislike the others.
While no other celebration can match Christmas’s 78% approval rating, Easter and New Year are viewed positively by most Britons, at 58% and 56% respectively.
Other festivals are, however, a little more divisive. For the 39% of Britons with a positive opinion of Bonfire Night, there are 30% with a negative one. With Valentine’s Day, the 28% of the public who like the romantic holiday are near evenly balanced by three in ten Britons (30%) who dislike it, and outnumbered by the 40% who are neutral on 14 February. And for the third of Britons (33%) who see Halloween in a favourable light, there are four in ten (40%) who are more dismissive of the spooky festivities.
Across these major festivals, though, there is a trend of older Britons liking them less than younger Britons. Halloween divides age groups the most, with half of 18-24 year olds (50%) and nearly half of 25-49 year olds (46%) viewing the holiday favourably, compared to just 25% of 50-64 year olds and only 9% of over 65s.
Easter is the sole exception to this age trend, with 57-58% of all age groups holding a positive view of the festivities.
How do you feel about Christmas, holidays in general, and everything else? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.
Photo: Getty
