Slade's timeless hit has been confirmed as one of the biggest sounds of Christmas, according to a survey from national charity Action on Hearing Loss. The poll, published today, highlights the sounds that people associate with Christmas the most. For many, it’s the screams of siblings fighting, the in-laws arguing or Coca-Cola’s ‘Holidays are coming!’ advert, however over half of people (51.7%) said that carols and songs are the sounds that remind them most of Christmas.
‘Merry Christmas’ by Slade came second with one in seven naming it as their festive sound.
The online survey of 1025 people from the general public also put the sounds of laughter and people talking over each other during Christmas dinner at just over 8% as well as, comically, the sound of someone snoring after the Christmas meal attracting 2.5%.
Other poll results included Christmas sounds, such as:
- Sleigh bells ringing – 8.1%
- Crunching of fresh snow – 6.4%
- The rustle of wrapping paper when gifts are being opened – 5.6%
Paul Breckell, Action on Hearing Loss Chief Executive said: ‘The festive period is a great time for family and friends to get together, celebrate and catch up on old times whilst reflecting on the year gone past. Our survey shows that people still like the traditional carols and music best, whilst funnily enough the sound of people snoring after a hearty meal manages to leave an indelible mark on many.
‘Christmas is also a time when many people realise that they are losing their hearing, or family and friends may recognise that older members of the family have their TV on louder or ask to repeat themselves more frequently. With one in six people in the UK living with some form of hearing loss, we are asking anyone who thinks they may be losing their hearing to take our free Hearing Check so that they can continue to enjoy social gatherings without missing out on conversations, or those re-runs of Only Fools and Horses!’
