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According to new research, Brits are officially kinder at Christmas compared to the rest of the year, proving that festive cheer really is contagious – and it’s us Mancs who are one of the kindest cities in the country. We might be biased, but we’re a lovely lot at the best of times, so we were bound to make the nice list.
A new poll of 2,000 adults by Santander revealed that more than one in three (35%) Brits say they are more inclined to perform random acts of kindness during the Christmas period, whether that is donating food or toys to local charities and foodbanks (33%), cooking for friends (19%), supporting local businesses (31%), or checking in on lonely or vulnerable neighbours (21%). This comes in stark contrast to January, a month in which nearly one in five (18%) of Brits believe their compatriots are the least kind, happy or forgiving.
The kindest cities in the UK at Christmas time
Despite its sometimes Scrooge-like reputation, but much to our surprise, London has been named the UK’s kindest city with 49% of Londoners more inclined to perform random acts of kindness during the festive season. London was closely followed by our North West neighbour Liverpool in second place, and then the thoughtful people of Manchester were named the third top kindness hotspot.
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Santander’s poll also revealed that almost a third (30%) of Brits say they are more likely to donate to charity over Christmas and 31% report volunteering more during December than in any other month of the year. Additionally, 34% have volunteered over the festive period, including at a soup kitchen, for charity, for community or school events, whilst 52% say they never offer out their own time for free across the rest of the year.
Why are people kinder during the festive period?
When asked what has the greatest impact on how kind people are during the festive period, over a third (39%) of Brits attributed the extra cheer to the enjoyment of ‘giving’ – whether that be presents or time – whilst 38% put it down to time spent reflecting on those less fortunate than themselves. More than one in three (34%) said that they are inspired by the idea that “we should be kind to others around Christmas time” as seen in Christmas films, books and adverts.
Other acts of kindness reported around Christmas time include carving out more time to see friends and family (31%), cooking for loved ones and neighbours (19%), giving out compliments to strangers (19%) and leaving larger tips for restaurant and bar staff working over the Christmas period (16%).
Credit: George Standen via Getty Images The top 10 acts of kindness Brits will carry out to spread joy this Christmas:
- Donate food or toys to local charities and foodbanks (33%)
- Supporting small or local businesses when present buying (31%)
- Carving out more time to see friends and family (31%)
- Checking in on vulnerable people or those who may be experiencing loneliness at Christmas (21%)
- Cooking for other people, such as friends and neighbours (19%)
- Giving genuine compliments to strangers (19%)
- Leaving larger tips for waiting staff (16%)
- Being nicer to work colleagues (13%)
- Striking up conversation at times they usually wouldn’t, such as when commuting (13%)
- Letting other Christmas shoppers skip their place in the queue (12%)
The study also revealed a 43% increase in reported smiling and general merriness during the Christmas build-up, compared to the rest of the year. Over half of Brits (52%) report that spending time with loved ones is their favourite part of the festive period, whether that manifests in the form of buying and wrapping presents (32%) or watching Christmas films together (40%). A third of people also say that giving to others during Christmas – whether through food, gifts, or time – brings them the most joy.
So, if you weren’t feeling the festive cheer, hopefully you are now!