Halloween treats may have only just been finished, and Bonfire Night has barely fizzled out, but in many homes the Christmas lights are already twinkling, with nearly one in four Britons switching them on before December, new research from decorative lighting brand Lights4fun finds.
Like celebrities including Amanda Holden, the nation is keen to get into the festive spirit, with Gen Z the most excited of all: 9% of 18 to 24-year-olds put their lights on as early as the start of November, followed by millennials (6%).
While there is a small rush to feel merry and bright, there are those who like to keep it traditional, with the first week of December remaining the most popular time to switch on for nearly half of those who decorate.
The findings come as households across the country start untangling last year’s fairy lights in the run-up to the festive season.
Many Brits who decorate with Christmas lighting (39%) want it to be tasteful and have a balanced feel with their decorations, while nearly one in five (19%) insist there’s no such thing as too many lights.
The poll of 2,000 people who decorate their homes with Christmas lights found that timing can cause some friction, with 7% admitting to a row over when the lights go up.
But once the lights are up, many are in no hurry to take them down. A quarter (25%) leave them up beyond Twelfth Night.
Households spend an average of £92 a year on Christmas lighting, with the window the most popular spot to decorate (39%), while fewer than a quarter (23%) put lights outside their homes.
For most, it is all about the feeling, with warmth (43%), family togetherness (34%), festive magic (30%) and nostalgia (29%) topping the list of what Christmas lights mean to people.
The Lights4fun research identified seven Christmas lighting personalities of Great Britain:
- The Cosy Glow Seeker: Likes a warm, comforting atmosphere above all else (25%)
- The Nostalgic Traditionalist: Prefers a classic Christmas like it always was (24%)
- The Colourful Individualist: Likes to break the rules and prefers to be playful, colourful and unconventional (13%)
- The Minimalist: Less is more, prefers understated and simple (12%)
- The Natural Scandi Stylist: Leans towards understated and organic, with neutral, natural and coordinated styling (8%)
- The Maximalist: More is more, loves more lights and more sparkle (8%)
- The Showstopper: Go big or go home, enjoys creating eye-catching displays (7%)
‘Christmas lighting is about more than just how your home looks – it’s about a feeling, an emotion, and it can have a big impact on your general mood and wellbeing,’ Claire Bassett, head of product at Lights4fun, said.
‘The lighting personalities are a great starting point but there’s no rulebook. The key things to remember are to choose a look you love, add decorations that mean something to you or elicit a positive reaction when you look at them, and build around that. The best Christmas lighting displays are the ones that feel personal and like an extension of you.’
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