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Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and London are home to the most festive people in the country.

A study of 2,000 adults found the people of Birmingham love Christmas more than those in any other part of the country, with more than three quarters declaring it the best time of the year.

And 35% of those who live in 'Brum' said their street tends to go 'all out' when it comes to decorating the outside of their homes.

Three in 10 Londoners will have their Christmas decorations up before the end of November, while a fifth of Bristolians start looking forward to the festive period months early.

At the other end of the scale, less than two thirds of Norwich residents consider Christmas to be a highlight of their year.

More than one in five even went as far as to say they don't look forward to it at all.

The study, commissioned by Next, found that despite half feeling Covid had put a dampener on this year's celebrations, 46% are planning to make more of an effort to ensure a good end to 2020.

One in seven will even be spending more money to make this festive period one to remember, with that extra cash going on Christmas presents (67%), indoor decorations (41%) and even the tree itself (34%).

A spokesperson for Next said: "It's generally considered that everywhere gets pretty excited for Christmas, but apparently not as much as Birmingham.

"This Christmas looks likely to be different, but it seems that one thing that won't change is the festive spirit in many cities across the country.

"In fact, many are planning to go bigger and better than ever on presents and decorations this year to make sure they end a less than perfect 2020 with a brilliant Christmas."

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The study found 73% of UK adults see Christmas as one of the best times of the year – with 16% getting excited months before the big day.

As a result, a fifth decorate their homes before December has even begun, with the task of decking the halls taking an average of almost four hours.

The tree was considered the most important decoration to have up (79%), along with the baubles which decorate it (55 per cent) and indoor lighting.

But for many, the decorating doesn't stop with their homes, with 42% owning a Christmas jumper and more than one in five even donning festive pyjamas (22%).

Others wear Christmas socks (26%), slippers (11%) and dresses (7%) to help them celebrate.

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The study, carried out via OnePoll, also revealed one in five adults admitted to being 'competitive' when it comes to having the most lavish decorations, giving the best gifts or cooking the most delicious dinner.

As a result, more than a third post images of their Christmas on social media, with the tree (22%), presents (13%) and indoor decorations (11%) the most likely things to show off.

The Next spokesperson added: "This Christmas is going to be different from any other in living memory.

"It's still unclear what restrictions will be in place come the big day, which could lead to much less contact than we're used to.

"For that reason, people seem to be planning to spend more time decorating their homes than usual, which makes sense as it's likely they'll be spending much longer in them."

Top five most festive cities

1. Birmingham

2. Bristol

3. Cardiff

4. London

5. York

Top five least festive cities

1. Norwich

2. Edinburgh

3. Liverpool

4. Glasgow

5. Plymouth

• Christmas

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