British Public Vote Their Top 10 Most Passionate Nights Of The Year
Valentine's takes only third place in a MORI poll of the 10 sexiest nights of the year.
The new consumer research reveals that half of the British public say they are most likely to get passionate on their wedding anniversary or, for non-marrieds, the anniversary of their 'first encounter'.
In a close second place on the carnal calendar is 'your partner's birthday' with 'your own birthday' trailing in fourth spot - indicating that it is indeed better to give than to receive.
The survey has been commissioned by Freixenet (pronounced Freshenett), producers of the world's biggest selling sparkling wine made in the Traditional Method, where the bubbles are formed naturally in the bottle. It's important for the winery in Barcelona to keep track of Britain's love moods so they can predict surges in demand for Freixenet's sexy matt black and gold bottle.
New Year's Eve comes in fifth for passion action, with Christmas Day and the first night on holiday tied for sixth. Trailing way behind these perennial favourites come Pay Day in eighth spot, with Cup Final Night in ninth position and Fireworks Night in the rear with much more of a whimper than a bang.
Commented Freixenet's wine manager in the UK Philip Rowles: "The important finding for us is that Valentine's Night may not top the poll outright but it's clearly the most popular specific calendar date for passionate encounters. More people are doing it at the same time, as it were. Almost twice as many couples are likely to be 'putting out the do not disturb sign' on Monday than did so on New Year's Eve."
Sparkling wine is the classic partner to passion and to seduction. And, says Philip, it's not just because the bubbles "effervesce you more quickly".
"The whole experience is voluptuous. The easing out of the cork, the anticipation of the bang, the feeling of release as the froth fills the glass, then the sensation of the bubbles on the tongue ... You just don't get these things with still wine."
"The black Freixenet bottle is even more sensuous of course, because you can't see the wine inside until it comes out."
Asked to name the occasions on which they were likely to be more passionate than usual with their partner, the results were as follows:
% who mentioned
| Wedding Anniversary or of 'meeting' |  47% |
| Your partner's birthday | 43% |
| Valentine's Night | 37% |
| Your birthday | 32% |
| New Year's Eve | 21% |
| Christmas Day | 15% |
| First night on holiday | 15% |
| Pay Day | 5% |
| Cup Final Night | 3% |
| Fireworks Night | 1% |
Younger people have more fun on Feb 14.
It's younger people - under 35 - who appear to have most fun on Valentine's Night. In fact they put Valentine's above any other for passion with a 62% vote. It's the best time for 55 per cent of singles too. It seems to be the over 55s that drag the score down with 38 per cent cold-shouldering the Feb 14 hype and going for the old wedding anniversary.
The birthdays conundrum. Guess what - it's a man thing.
Overall the proportion of the public who feel they are more likely to be passionate on their partner's birthday is 11 per cent higher than on their own birthday. But men are almost twice as likely to feel passionate on their partner's birthday as their own, with women feeling the same either way.
The clear implication is that men expect to give a passionate present to their partners on their birthdays, but don't expect their partners to want them to repay the compliment.
Around the country.
Whilst Valentine's Day is equally popular around the country for leading to a night of passion, other dates on the calendar attract different levels of interest. Londoners and those in the Eastern region are more likely to be passionate on their partner's birthday. Christmas Day is significantly more popular in Scotland and the East, but less so in Wales. One in ten people in the North West are particularly likely to be passionate on Cup Final Night, whilst the same proportion of Scots are more likely to be up for it on Pay Day.
Technical details
MORI interviewed 2,072 GB adults aged 15+ across 156 sample points during 3-7 February 2000.
