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Christmas cheer is expected to come earlier than usual in households this year as Brits seek distraction from Brexit, turning to festive lights and decorations to lift their spirits.
According to a survey commissioned by window and door manufacturer and installer Safestyle, one in 10 Brits say their Christmas decorations will be up before November 30 while 4% already had them up by Bonfire Night (November 5).
The research was carried out online by Opinion Matters between October 18 and October 21 amongst a panel of 2,016 adults. Around half of those surveyed, across all age ranges and regions, said seeing homes, streets and town centres illuminated for the festive season makes them feel happy (48%), with this effect being particularly visible in women (53%).
Overall, three out of 10 respondents said festive lights make them feel positive (30%), with almost as many claiming they make them feel warmer (28%), suggesting that festive colours and lighting can create a ‘whole body’ emotional response.
A total of 84% of those questioned said they will be putting up Christmas decorations this year. The weekend of November 30-December 1 is looking like the most popular time to do so, with almost one in six (17%) saying they will put up their decorations during that weekend. This means that more than a quarter of those decorating for Christmas (27%) will have done so by the first day of December.
Around one in 10 respondents admit to putting their decorations up as early as they can (11%) to make them feel festive, with roughly the same number saying they like to leave them up for as long as possible (10%).
Martin Troughton, marketing director of Safestyle, said: “It’s been a challenging year for the country in so many ways, and it’s clear from the survey findings that festive colours and lights can really boost our sense of wellbeing, providing the perfect antidote to the ongoing Brexit debate.
“As we head into winter, it’s great to know that we can help ourselves and others feel better, happier and more positive by brightening up our homes and communities at the darkest time of the year. The knock-on effects for our personal wellbeing as well as our local neighbourhoods are staggering.”
As part of Safestyle’s commitment to brighten up Britain, the company is sponsoring a national competition called Illumination Street fronted by celebrity gardener David Domoney to brighten up Britain’s front gardens with Christmas cheer. The campaign launched on November 3 with prizes for the best garden displays, community Christmas display, front door display and children’s window display.
David commented: “The aim of Illumination Street is to encourage adults and children to use their imagination and creative flair to really make the most of their home and garden during the festive season. With prizes to be won for the best entries across a range of categories, we want to celebrate and share the uplifting displays during this magical time of year. You don’t have to spend a fortune to create impact; it’s all about imagination and fun.
“Illumination Street has been borne on the back of Cultivation Street – a national gardening campaign for community gardens, school gardens and gardens for better health, now in its eighth year. It makes such a huge difference when communities come together to brighten up their local area, so by introducing Illumination Street this year we hope to inspire people to make more of their homes and gardens, channelling that same positivity and cheer through to the winter months.”
More information about the Illumination Street campaign and competition deadline dates can be found at illuminationstreet.com
