A large majority of Americans (62.7%) say they can't get into the Christmas mood this year due to worries about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the healthcare debate, the economy, and concerns about jobs, according to America's Research Group. In previous seasons, outside forces affected no more than 48% of Americans.
Consumers also say stores aren't doing enough to engender holiday cheer: 65.9% say retailers do only the minimum to decorate stores and create a Christmas spirit, while 35.3% say stores are in spirit.
On a more positive note, 62% of Americans say they look forward most to spending time with friends and family this year, according to a separate survey from Harris Interactive:
For older Americans, spending time with family and friends during the holidays is more important than it is for other age groups: 71% of Matures (64+) say that is what they look forward to most, compared with 52% of Echo Boomers (age 18-32).
The holiday season can also be depressing for some, as 8% of Americans say they do not look forward to the upcoming holidays.
Overall Holiday Dislikes
Mixed in with Christmas cheer comes the stress of spending too much money, having to deal with crowed shopping malls, and listening to the same old holiday songs. Although 21% of Americans who celebrate the holidays say they like everything about the season, there are some things that people dislike about this time of year:
- 27% say spending too much money.
- 23% say the holiday crowds.
- 6% say putting up and taking down the Christmas tree.
- 5% say the television specials and holiday songs.
About the data: Information from America's Research Group is based on data gathered through telephone interviews conducted December 12-13, 2009, exclusively for BeemerReport.com. Harris Poll data consists of information from 2,303 adults surveyed online between November 2 and 11, 2009 by Harris Interactive.
