With Christmas fast approaching, attention turns to the lights, the gifts, and the age-old tradition of showing good neighbourly spirit.
But just how much festive cheer is alive and well on our streets?
A new UK-wide survey, commissioned by NetVoucherCodes and conducted by Censuswide, set out to answer that question by asking residents in 17 major cities whether they would be writing Christmas cards for their neighbours this year. Nationally, the results show 50 per cent of Brits are keeping the goodwill tradition alive, but the results vary across the UK.
From the most cheerful city (where two-thirds of residents are writing notes) to the least (where barely one-quarter participate), the ranking reveals insights into community culture.
So, in the race for festive glory, where does Leeds place, and which cities top the ultimate “cheer-board”?
The findings were compiled using a UK-wide online survey commissioned by NetVoucherCodes and conducted by Censuswide in October 2025. The study gathered responses from a sample of one thousand UK adults aged 16 and over, with the final data weighted to accurately represent the UK's adult population.
The ranking is based purely on the percentage of residents in each city who agreed they were planning to write Christmas cards for their neighbours.
13. Bristol (67%)
The most cheerful city in the UK is Bristol! With a definitive 67% of residents planning to write Christmas cards, the city far outpaces the national average. The data strongly suggests Bristol's famous hyper-localised community culture is thriving, making it the undeniable champion of neighbourly Christmas cheer this year. | BristolWorld