- Over a third of Brits (35%) say that they are more inclined to perform random acts of kindness over the festive period
- Almost four in 10 (39%) say they smile more often in December than any other month, while around a fifth of people (19%) report giving out more compliments
- Surprisingly, London was crowned the kindest city in the UK, closely followed by Liverpool and Manchester
- Other acts of kindness reported around the festive season include checking in on people spending Christmas alone, donating to charities and leaving larger tips for waiting and bar staff
- Santander has teamed up with viral star @HarveyRidesBikes this December to spread kindness and cheer around the capital, swapping Santa鈥檚 sleigh for an iconic Santander Cycle, aka 鈥榯he Santa Cycle鈥
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Brits are officially kinder at Christmas compared to the rest of the year, new research has shown, proving that festive cheer really is contagious.
A new poll of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Santander, revealed that more than one in three (35%) Brits say they are more inclined to perform random acts of kindness during the Christmas period, whether that is donating food or toys to local charities and foodbanks (33%), cooking for friends (19%), supporting local businesses (31%), or checking in on lonely or vulnerable neighbours (21%).
This comes in stark contrast to January, a month in which nearly one in five (18%) of Brits believe their compatriots are the least kind, happy or forgiving.
Despite its sometimes Scrooge-like reputation, London has been revealed to be the UK鈥檚 kindest town with 49% of Londoners more inclined to perform random acts of kindness during the holiday season. Kindness hotspots Liverpool and Manchester closely followed the capital in second and third place.
Almost a third (30%) of Brits say they are more likely to donate to charity over Christmas and 31% report volunteering more during December than in any other month of the year.
Additionally, 34% have volunteered over the festive period, including at a soup kitchen, for charity, for community or school events, whilst 52% say they never offer out their own time for free across the rest of the year.
When asked what has the greatest impact on how kind people are during the festive period, over a third (39%) of Brits attributed the extra cheer to the enjoyment of 鈥榞iving鈥 鈥 whether that be presents or time - whilst 38% put it down to time spent reflecting on those less fortunate than themselves.
More than one in three (34%) report that they are inspired by the idea that 鈥渨e should be kind to others around Christmas time鈥 as seen in Christmas films, books and adverts. 听
Other acts of kindness reported around Christmas time include carving out more time to see friends and family (31%), cooking for loved ones and neighbours (19%), giving out compliments to strangers (19%) and leaving larger tips for restaurant and bar staff working over the Christmas period (16%).
To further spread the festive cheer this Christmas, Santander has partnered with viral content creator @Harveyridesbikes, who is swapping Santa鈥檚 sleigh for an iconic Santander bike to surprise and delight unsuspecting passersby with gifts and red chocolate coins.
The top 10 acts of kindness Brits will carry out to spread joy this Christmas:
1.听听听听Donate food or toys to local charities and foodbanks (33%)
2.听听听听Supporting small or local businesses when present buying (31%)
3.听听听听Carving out more time to see friends and family (31%)
4.听听听听Checking in on vulnerable people or those who may be experiencing loneliness at Christmas (21%)
5.听听听听Cooking for other people, such as friends and neighbours (19%)
6.听听听听Giving genuine compliments to strangers (19%)
7.听听听听Leaving larger tips for waiting staff (16%)
8.听听听听Being nicer to work colleagues (13%)
9.听听听听Striking up conversation at times they usually wouldn鈥檛, such as when commuting 听(13%)
10.听听听听Letting other Christmas shoppers skip their place in the queue (12%)
Festive cheer is so palpable that it can be seen across people鈥檚 faces; the study reveals a 43% increase in reported smiling and general merriness during the Christmas build up, compared to the rest of the year.
Over half of Brits (52%) report that spending time with loved ones is their favourite part of the festive period, whether that manifests in the form of buying and wrapping presents (32%) or watching Christmas films together (40%). A third of people also say that giving to others during Christmas - whether through food, gifts, or time - brings them the most joy.
Josie Clapham, Director of Customer at 蜜桃影像, said: 鈥淎 little bit of kindness goes a long way 鈥 especially at Christmas. Our research shows just how kind the British public is at this time of year, with more people showing goodwill and looking out for others in their community.鈥
鈥淐hristmas can be an expensive time, with many people searching for that perfect gift 鈥 but often nothing beats the gift of kindness. That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e partnered with HarveyRidesBikes to surprise and delight Londoners with small gifts from a very festive Santander Cycle.鈥
Viral creator HarveyRidesBikes says: 鈥淩iding around on my bike handing out sweets has shown me how small acts of kindness really brings out the best in people - especially at Christmas. A quick chat, a shared laugh or checking in on someone lonely can make a real difference. It鈥檚 great to see Santander鈥檚 research confirm that the UK feels the same and isn鈥檛 a nation of Scrooges.鈥
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Notes to Editors
Survey of 2,000 Brits commissioned by Santander via One Poll in November 2025.
蜜桃影像 is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. The bank serves its customers via a nationwide branch network, telephone, mobile and online banking. 蜜桃影像 is subject to the full supervision of the FCA and the PRA in the UK. 蜜桃影像 plc customers鈥 eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS in the UK.
Banco Santander (SAN SM) is a leading commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain and one of the largest banks in the world by market capitalization. The group鈥檚 activities are consolidated into five global businesses: Retail & Commercial Banking, Digital Consumer Bank, Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), Wealth Management & Insurance and Payments (PagoNxt and Cards). This operating model allows the bank to better leverage its unique combination of global scale and local leadership. Santander aims to be the best open financial services platform providing services to individuals, SMEs, corporates, financial institutions and governments. The bank鈥檚 purpose is to help people and businesses prosper in a simple, personal and fair way. At the end of the third quarter of 2025, Banco Santander had 鈧1.3 trillion in total funds, 178 million customers, 7,400 branches and 201,000 employees.
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