Study reveals where in the UK has the most Christmas spirit

After a tough year, many of us are channeling our inner Buddy the Elf to spread some much-needed Christmas cheer.

But Christmas is a time of year that brings us together…and divides us. Whether you’re already feasting on mince pies in front of a Christmas film or cringing at your friends showing off their Christmas trees on Instagram, it’s clear that “festive feeling” doesn’t come naturally to all of us.

So, where in the UK has the most Christmas cheer, singing loud for all to hear? And who needs a little more encouragement?

StressNoMore, an online health and wellbeing retailer, has analysed three years’ worth of data on the nation’s festive Googling habits – think Christmas films, songs, gifts, trees, decorations, lights and carols – to find out where has the most Christmas spirit.

Out of the 50 towns and cities studied by StressNoMore, Leicester has been crowned the most festive place to live in the UK, scoring the highest on Santa’s Clausometer for Christmas cheer (99.4 out of 100):

This means residents make seasonal searches on Google more than any other town (994 on average per 100,000 people). Festive songs, advent calendars and Christmas trees are what Leicester residents get most excited about during the holidays, while the dinner table divider – the humble Christmas pudding – is the least rated.

Hull comes in second place for its residents’ Christmas spirit, scoring 80.7 out of 100 on the Clausometer – or 807 festive Google searches per capita each month. Plymouth (77.4), Middlesbrough (62.8) and Aberdeen (59.8) make up the rest of the top 5 most Christmas-obsessed towns and cities.