There’s no denying that a tub of Celebrations is synonymous with the festive period. We sneak in a Mars before our Christmas dinner, chomp on Twixes while watching our tenth film of the day and fight with our families over who gets the last Milky Way.

But with so many glorious options – from crunchy Maltesers to a silky Galaxy – which Celebration reigns supreme? The answer often divides, but thankfully the Stylist team is here to tell you. We’ve tried, tasted and voted and now, perhaps controversially, present to you the definitive ranking. Please note: we will not be taking criticisms at this point.

Coming in last place is the Twix, much to the dismay of Stylist’s email editor Annie Simpson. 

“I think the Twix gets far too much hate,” she says. “When it comes to a box of Celebrations, it’s automatically at a disadvantage as it replaced everyone’s favourite, the Galaxy Truffle. But what’s not to love about the smooth chocolate, crunchy biscuit and chewy caramel in a Twix? While the mini version may not be quite as good as its full-sized sibling (which is perfect with a 3pm cuppa), it deserves to be far from the bottom of the list.”

Perhaps the most divisive chocolate in the box, many team members expressed surprise at how the Bounty fared, peaking at five before ultimately being voted down to seventh place. “It can very much get straight in the bin,” said digital writer and confessed Bounty hater Aidan Milan. “It’s dry, somehow a bit sandy and it’s far, far too sickly.”

Not everyone agreed, though.

“I’ve had it up to here with the Bounty slander because it is objectively The Best,” fumed features director Meena Alexander. “It’s got texture, it’s got the perfect balance of sweet coconut and smooth milk chocolate, and it’s got the jazziest wrapper (which is, crucially, easy to spot in the tin from 10 paces away). If you love Bounty, you’re my people; if you don’t, you’re wrong.”

Ranking lower than some expected, the humble Mars bar took sixth place. We enjoyed it, but no one had any particularly emphatic words to say. A solid, middle-of-the-road choice, it seems.

Maybe it’s the nostalgia factor, maybe it’s the soft, pillowy nougat… the Milky Way was voted the fifth-best Celebration. No one was aghast; no one was surprised.      

“As a peanut butter lover, I am a firm believer that the Snickers is the best Celebration,” says features writer Holly Bullock. “In fact, as shocking as this may be, I’d probably pass on the rest. However, I think Maltesers are overhyped: a shit Crunchie, in my opinion.”

An all-round crowd-pleaser the Galaxy came in third.

“It may be simple, but boy is it effective,” says senior writer Amy Beecham. “Galaxy is the silkiest chocolate around, so why wouldn’t you want it in miniature form? It’s the perfect single bite.”

Perhaps the most controversial of all the Celebrations, the positioning of the Galaxy Caramel had the office divided. “The ratio of caramel to chocolate is way off,” argued digital writer Shahed Ezaydi, while sub-editor Steven Cowan believed the prestigious second slot was exactly where the Galaxy Caramel should be.

“It’s a bit sweet, sure, and not a patch on the purple fella in a tub of Quality Street, but it’s one of the few Celebrations that doesn’t stick to the back of your teeth or make you feel like you’ve bitten into some honeycomb-flavoured dust.”

Strong Women editor Miranda Larbi added: “Before I went vegan, my family used to fight over the two best Celebrations: Maltesers and Galaxy Caramel. Anything caramel is elite and it rightly deserves to be up there with the best chocolates. Who doesn’t love biting off the end and sucking out the sweet, gooey liquid inside before crunching through the hollow milk chocolate?”

Taking the coveted number one spot is Maltesers, which won more than 60% of the votes. As deputy digital editor Ellen Scott puts it: “They’re so clearly the superior Christmas treat; just look at the fact that they sell Maltesers-only tubs for proof. Or that they’re the first to disappear from any Celebrations box. Creamy, smooth chocolate and little malty bits? A delight.”

Entertainment director Helen Bownass concurs: “Do you know what I love more than Maltesers? The Maltesers Teaser Celebration. It’s absolutely perfect: sweet, crunchy, surprising! FIGHT ME FOR IT!”

Images: Getty