What are Britons’ favourite things about Christmas?
Overall, spending time with family is the country’s favourite aspect of Christmas, with 59% of Britons saying it is one of their top parts of the festival. A quarter of Britons (26%) also see the ability to spend time with friends as one of Christmas’s best features.
Nearly half (45%) see the food and drink as a key highlight of the holiday, while the festive atmosphere takes the bronze medal, being the best thing about Christmas for 40%. More than a third of Britons (36%) see giving presents to others as one of their top elements of Christmas, more than double the 17% who feel so of receiving presents.
It can’t be said that Christmas doesn’t have a wide range of appeals: whether that’s the prosaic (33% see taking time off work as one of its top aspects), the heartwarming (30% feel children being happy is one of its best bits), or the history (the traditions are a favourite aspect for 29%, while the nostalgia is special for 25%).
The cultural elements of Christmas get less love, with just a fifth of Britons (20-21%) labelling either the film and television or the music as their favourite parts of Christmas. A similar number (21%) put the decorations on this level.
Despite the Christian celebration at the heart of the holiday, just 11% see the religious aspects as one of their yuletide highlights.
Just 4% of Britons, including only 28% of those who say they do not celebrate Christmas, say there are no aspects of the season whatsoever to like.
What is Britain’s favourite Christmas carol?
Silent Night is – by a clear margin – Britain’s favourite Christmas carol, being the top choice of 28% of those with a favourite yuletide hymn.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing is the favourite for 7%, while Away in a Manger steals the show for 6% of Britons with a preferred carol. O Come All Ye Faithful and In the Bleak Midwinter round out the top five, being the first choice for 5% a piece.
Jingle Bells, O Holy Night and O Little Town of Bethlehem are the favourite carols for 4%, while Once in Royal David’s City takes the crown for 3%.
Honourable mentions are in order for Carol of the Bells, Deck the Halls, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas and We Wish You a Merry Christmas, which are the top tunes for 2% of carol lovers each. All other carols are the favourite of 1% or less.
What is Britain’s favourite Christmas song?
Beyond carols, The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York is the nation’s favourite Christmas song, being number one for 19% of Britons with a top pick. Wham!’s Last Christmas comes in second with the votes of 13%.
Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You is the favourite festive ditty for 7%, while 5% apiece opt for Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody, Chris Rea’s Driving Home for Christmas, and Bing Crosby’s White Christmas. Shakin’ Steven’s Merry Christmas Everyone is the preference of 4%.
Other festive favourites, picked by 2% of those with a favourite each, include Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas, Jona Lewie’s Stop the Cavalry, Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, Jingle Bells, Elton John’s Step Into Christmas and Greg Lake’s I Believe in Father Christmas.
What is Britain’s favourite Christmas film?
Britain’s top festive film is Home Alone, being the favourite of 19% Britons with a favoured Christmas flick. The debatably yuletide classic Die Hard follows on 11%, while Elf is the merriest of movies for 9%.
For some, it’s the romantic side of Christmas they enjoy most, with Love Actually and It’s a Wonderful Life the top Christmas films for 6-7% of those with a favourite.
The Holiday tops the tree for 5%, with the same proportion giving the title to The Muppet Christmas Carol, alongside another 5% who give it to other adaptations of Charles Dickens’ foundational Christmas novel (some specified an adaptation, including Scrooge, others did not).
Grinch movies, including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, pulled ahead of any competition for 4%, while Miracle on 34th Street, Santa Claus: The Movie, and The Polar Express are the favoured Christmas films for 3%.
Films coming top for 2% each are National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Nativity, The Snowman and White Christmas.
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