A recent survey of approximately 1,000 Americans found that more than a quarter of them (26.7%) said that gift-giving is their least favorite holiday tradition.
This “2022 Christmas Travel Survey” was conducted by SurveyMonkey on behalf of The Vacationer and included participants over age 18 who were polled on Oct. 25.
“The questions were chosen and the results were analyzed by the post author, Eric Jones, who is a Mathematics and Statistics Professor at Rowan College South Jersey,” The Vacationer said.
A plurality of those surveyed (29.11%) said they generally like all holiday traditions. Still, the percentage of those who dread gift exchanges represents around 69 million Americans, per the survey summary.
“Especially in complicated or conflicted relationships, gifts are not just gifts,” explained Unhealthy Helping: A Psychological Guide to Overcoming Codependence, Enabling, & Other Dysfunctional Giving author Shawn Burn in a 2014 article for Psychology Today. “Holiday gifts may be peace-making gestures, or symbols of anger, hurt, indifference, or dislike (or interpreted as such regardless of our motives).”
In addition to gift exchanges, significant percentages of survey participants also said they disliked attending religious services (24.93%), caroling (24.23%), holiday parties (21.13%) and decorating their home (18.94%).
Here are the 10 holiday traditions with the most haters, according to The Vacationer:
1. Gift exchange, 26.72%
2. Attending a religious service, 24.93%
3. Caroling or singing, 24.23%
4. Holiday parties, 22.13%
5. Decorating your home, 18.94%
6. Meals with friends and family, 18.54%
7. Lighting candles, 13.56%
8. Baking cookies and other sweet treats, 12.76%
9. Volunteering, 11.86%
10. Santa Claus, 11.47%
People who live in the Middle Atlantic region (New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) were the most prone to disliking holiday traditions. They were “most likely to say they disliked a meal with friends or family, a gift exchange, a holiday party, decorating your home, or baking cookies or other sweet treats,” said The Vacationer.
Those who live further south in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, were more likely to enjoy holiday traditions.
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