NATION EMBRACES CHRISTMAS CHEER: CLASSIC CAROL CROWNED FAVOURITE AS LANDMARK LIGHTS UP
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas sleighs its way to the top as the nation’s favourite carol
- UK’s tallest building, The Shard, announces festive light show inspired by Britain’s most-loved carols from 14th November – with the help of surprise musical maestro
It’s a festive classic made famous by a University of Bristol lecturer 89 years ago – and now it’s been named the nation’s favourite carol.
We Wish You a Merry Christmas, which dates back centuries and was brought up to date with the version we know and love by Arthur Warrell in 1935, has been voted the UK’s favourite seasonal sing-a-long, as a quarter of Brits (24%) favour the holiday classic.
It’s most popular amongst millennials (25-44) with a third (32%) putting it at the top of their holiday playlist, compared to just 14% of those aged 65 and over.
Commissioned by the UK’s tallest building, The Shard, the new research also reveals the heartwarming power of Christmas carols, with three in five (61%) saying their favourite festive song evokes cherished memories, and nearly half (47%) unable to resist singing along. Almost a third (30%) believe carols bring out the best in everyone, highlighting their magic during the festive season.
Top 5 Christmas carols:
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas (24%)
- Jingle Bells (22%)
- The Twelve Days of Christmas (10%)
- Deck the Halls (8%)
- Christmas Tree & Carol of the Bells (5% each)
The Shard will be bringing to life the nation’s favourite Christmas carol by illuminating the capital with a festive light display from its iconic Spire, inspired by the much-loved Christmas songs.
On the evening of 14th November, Brits can witness The Shard’s Christmas Light Show as it brings festive cheer to the iconic London skyline. And to kick things off, those tuning in will be treated to an extra-special Christmas performance of We Wish You a Merry Christmas – featuring a surprise music icon.
From then until New Year’s Eve, the captivating light display, visible from over 40 miles away, will treat viewers across London to four 15-minute festive light sequences every hour, with each sequence inspired by We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Jingle Bells, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and Deck the Halls.
Lighting up the top 20-storeys of The Shard with 575 LED lights and fixtures and using updated energy-efficient LED lighting, The Shard’s Christmas Lights is an annual feature of the London skyline.