Key Findings
- 51% will make an extra effort to decorate their home to brighten up this tough year
- 27% are going to have more than one Christmas tree in their home
- 18% are taking part in community holiday lights contest, 38% wish there was one in their community
- 37% can’t afford to buy all the gifts they want due to COVID-related loss of income
- One in five (21%) plan on buying DIY or home-improvement-related gifts
- Over 43% will have to send gifts by post due to COVID-related measures
- 61% of Americans will have a smaller holiday party because of COVID
- Nearly half (46%) can’t physically join family or friends for the holidays due to COVID
- More than one in five (22%) plan to host or attend a virtual holiday party
Brightening up 2020
Over half (51%) of Americans are planning to put in extra effort into decorating their house this year, in order to brighten up what has been a tough year marred by the pandemic, civil unrest, and political tensions.
According to our survey, Ohioans appear to be keenest decorators, with 67% of them in the survey promising to go the extra mile when sprucing up their home for the holidays. Next highest, 62% of Texans and Floridians are eager to brighten up this tough year.
Quarantine Stir-Crazy
Americans simply can’t wait for the holidays this year. So much so, that one in five (22%) reportedly are going to put up their holiday decorations earlier than they normally would, and that’s on top of 20% already having holiday decorations up before Thanksgiving.
New Yorkers seem to have the least patience of all, as 35% of them are planning to decorate their homes early this year. Similarly, it’s the younger generations – 26% of Millennials and 29% of Gen Z – who are planning to brighten up their homes with decorations sooner than ever.
And speaking of brightening things up, 15% of Americans said they will be competing with their neighbors for the best holiday light displays. A further 17% don’t partake in the competition despite living in a community where such competition takes place. Finally, 38% don’t have a holiday light contest in their local area, but would love to have one going on.
O Christmas Trees, O Christmas Trees
Why put up one tree if you can put up many? That certainly seems to be the mentality of over a quarter (27%) of Americans surveyed this year, who say they plan to put up two trees (or more!) for the upcoming holiday season.
“Over one-third (38%) admit that they won’t be able to afford to buy all the presents they wanted due to losing either income or job to COVID.”
But are they real or fake? According to our survey, Americans are almost three times more likely to have an artificial Christmas tree (or, indeed, trees), with only 22% opting for a real tree compared to 58% putting up artificial ones.
Interestingly enough, it’s the Millennials who are most likely to have a real tree in their home (24%), with Gen Z being the least fond of natural trees (18.2%). Men are more likely to have a real tree than women (27% vs 17%), as women tend to prefer an artificial alternative (64% vs 53% of men).
Deck the Halls… and the Door, and the Front Yard, and the Windows
On an unsurprising yet joyous note, 93% of Americans will decorate at least some part of the house this year. The top five areas of the house to be decorated are the living room (84%), front door (47%), front yard (36%), windows (30%), and porch/deck (30%).
Oddly enough, more people would sooner decorate the bathroom (13%) than their children’s bedroom (12.5%), the roof (12%), or their backyard (10%). (Sorry, kids. Maybe next year.)
At the state level, those most likely to decorate their front doors are Illinoians (57%) as well as their porches/decks (36%), while those in Pennsylvania are most likely to adorn their kitchen (38%). New Yorkers are seemingly most eager to decorate their bedrooms (32%).
On average, Americans plan on spending precisely 3 hours 12 minutes putting up the decorations, Gen X being most dedicated to the task with over 40% planning to put 3 hours or more into decorating their homes.
Mostly Online and Definitely on a Budget: Gift Shopping in 2020
Based on our survey, the typical gift budget going into 2020 is at $744. It’s highest for Gen Z at $922, and lowest for Baby Boomers – $576.
For 42% of Americans, the gift budget will be smaller this year than the year before, with 45% of Zoomers (Gen Z) tightening their belts and Millennials being least affected (40%).
Over one-third (38%) admit that they won’t be able to afford to buy all the presents they wanted due to losing either income or job to COVID. Budgets of Gen Z appear to be most affected (42%) while Baby Boomers seem to be least impacted (35%).
People in the state of New York seem to be hit hardest with 45% of them admitting lack of funds to buy all the presents they were hoping to buy. Only a quarter (26%) of those in Illinois, on the other hand, will have to minimize their holiday shopping.
“93% of Americans will decorate at least some part of the house this year.”
To finance their gift purchases, two-thirds of Americans (69%) are planning on using cash or savings, however almost one in five (19%) will take on debt by using credit cards or taking out loans to help cover the cost of holiday presents.
A further 11% will finally be cashing in the stimulus check they got from the government due to the COVID pandemic when gift shopping this holiday season.
Shopping Online, Sending by Mail: Gift Giving in 2020
Much like with holiday decorations, a quarter of Americans (25%) are planning to shop for gifts earlier than they normally do. 29% of Millennials say they will shop for gifts in advance—the highest across generations.
More than eight out of 10 (83%) of Americans will shop for at least half of the gifts online, with as many as 51% feeling anxious about having to navigate crowds in shops and shopping malls when gift shopping.
Yet only 20% will completely avoid physical stores when holiday shopping. This share is the highest among Millennials and Zoomers where 22% and 24% respectively will buy all their gifts online.
Gift shopping is not the only tradition that will be done remotely this holiday season. Some 43% of Americans will have to give at least some of their gifts by post due to COVID-related travel restrictions or isolation measures.
“To make the most of the situation, 21% will either be hosting or joining a virtual holiday party over Zoom or FaceTime – more than the share of people planning to gather with extended family and a large group of friends (18%).”
Fantastic Gifts and Where to Find Them
What gifts can Americans look forward to receiving in 2020? Gift cards. Whether because they’re easy to purchase or don’t require as much consideration as other gifts, over 61% of people in our survey said they’ll be buying them for friends and family this year.
Topping the list together with gift cards are clothes (53%), toys & hobby-related presents (44%), and tech, such as computers, mobile devices, wearables (30%).
California bucks the trend with clothing items being the top choice gift for 63% and 66% of people respectively. Texas and Ohio are most likely to buy tech gifts (38% in both states), while Pennsylvanians seem to prefer gifting food and beverage (35%).
Perhaps on the heels of the COVID home improvement boom, one-in-five Americans are planning to buy home improvement-related items as gifts this holiday season. This trend is most apparent among Millennials and Gen Z!
When it comes to hiding gifts, Americans aren’t particularly imaginative. Most either hide them in their closets (45%) or their bedrooms (43%). A further 18% hide gifts in the garage, men being twice as likely to do so than women (24% vs 12%), while 13% will simply keep them in their car.
“Americans are almost three times more likely to have an artificial Christmas tree.”
Pandemic-Conscious Parties and FaceTime Feasts
Holiday celebrations simply won’t be the same this year. Over 60% of Americans admit that their holiday parties will be smaller because of COVID, while almost half (46%) can’t physically join my family or friends for the holidays because of COVID restrictions or risk of infection.
Over 70% of holiday parties in New Jersey and Massachusetts will be smaller because of COVID this year, while more than half (55%) of those in Florida won’t be able to join their families for the celebrations. With the highest percentage across the states, Florida’s lack of get-togethers may be due to a significant elderly population in the Sunshine state.
To make the most of the situation, 21% will either be hosting or joining a virtual holiday party over Zoom or FaceTime – more than the share of people planning to gather with extended family and a large group of friends (18%).
Embracing virtual ways to connect are in New York and Virginia, where the share of people hosting online parties (27%) is the largest in the nation.
Those 37% in our survey who will be gathering with close friends and family expect that their party will have hand sanitizer available (59%), face masks (54%), and will adhere to some form of social distancing (47%).
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In what has been a turbulent year for many, Americans are eager to make the most of the upcoming 2020 holiday season.
Gift budgets may be tighter and holiday parties – smaller, but with the help of technology, US Postal Service, beautiful decorations, and common sense around safety measures, Americans will find a way to celebrate and bring holiday cheer to loved ones like we always do.
