Love’s in the chilly air as a survey finds a third of adults get more romantic at Christmas, favouring grand gestures and snuggling up with rom coms.
In direct competition with Valentine’s Day, it turns out Christmas might just be the peak season for romance, with a third of adults confessing they turn into ‘true’ romantics over the festive period.
According to a recent survey, many believe that Christmas is the prime time for romance, with a third of Brits convinced it’s when most people are likely to fall head over heels.
More than a third acknowledge finding it easier to share their emotions during the merry month of December than any other. And as the countdown to the 25th of December rolls on, affectionate actions spike hugs and hand-holding become commonplace, date proposals pop up, and 12% even take the plunge into engagement.
Sky Cinema, initiating the study, drafted poets Donna Ashworth, Chloe Carterr, and Georgie Jones to create verses inspired by love scenes etched in our beloved holiday films.
A Sky Cinema spokesperson enthused: “Christmas and love go hand in hand, clearly. Whether it’s the joyful songs, films, twinkling lights or simply seeing loved ones, this time of the year many of us get caught up in the sheer romance of it all.”
The study also disclosed that nearly 28% find that romantic gestures carry extra weight during the festive season.
The top romantic Christmas activities noted were wrapping up for winter walks (18%), getting cosy watching holiday flicks (16%), and teaming up to adorn the Christmas tree (14%).
Three in 10 people admit that Christmas movies motivate them to be more affectionate during the festive season, with 40% more likely to watch romantic films in December than at any other time.
The most popular festive rom-coms include Love Actually, The Holiday, and Bridget Jones’s Diary which are often credited with inspiring affectionate feelings.
In terms of iconic one-liners, Love Actually tops the list with “to me, you are perfect”, followed by “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings” from It’s a Wonderful Life, and “I’m in love, I’m in love, and I don’t care who knows it” from Elf.
A spokesperson for Sky Cinema, which offers customers two free Vue cinema tickets every month, said: “We’re all familiar with the social media images of people watching the likes of The Holiday as soon as October is done and dusted.”
“There’s something romantic about snuggling up with a blanket, a hot chocolate in hand, dimmed lights, and putting classic films like Elf and Love Actually on our screens.”
“Movies have a wonderful way of inspiring us when it comes to heartfelt gestures.”