Thanksgiving is the most popular and well-known holiday in the country, topping Christmas and other festive days on the popularity list.
By Aaron Earls
Thanksgiving often seems to be the forgotten holiday, but many Americans want to linger on that last Thursday of November a little longer.
According to the latest YouGov tracking survey, Thanksgiving is the most popular and well-known holiday in the country, topping Christmas and other festive days on the popularity list.
Almost every U.S. adult (98%) says they have heard of Thanksgiving, and 80% say they like the holiday. Far fewer are neutral (13%) or say they dislike it (5%).
Thanksgiving is the most popular and well-known holiday in the country, topping Christmas and other festive days on the popularity list. Share on XWhile knowledge of the day remains consistent across the generations, the older someone is the more likely they are to enjoy Thanksgiving. Nine in 10 Baby Boomers, those mainly in their 60s and 70s, (90%) like the day. Thanksgiving is less popular among Generation X, those in their mid-40s to 50s, (80%) and Millennials, those in their late 20s to early 40s (74%).
Additionally, women (82%) are slightly more likely than men (77%) to enjoy the day.
Christmas cheer
Christmas is the second most-loved holiday in America, as 94% of Americans have heard of it and 77% like it. Few say they are neutral toward Christmas (12%) or dislike it (5%).
Generationally, Baby Boomers (97%) and Gen X (97%) are more likely than Millennials (91%) to have heard of the holiday. Baby Boomers (81%) are the most likely to say they have holiday cheer compared to Gen X (76%) and Millennials (75%).
Baby Boomers (81%) are the most likely to say they like Christmas compared to Gen X (76%) and Millennials (75%). Share on XHolidays, religious and not
Behind Thanksgiving and Christmas, the other holidays that are part of the 10 most popular festive days in the U.S. are: Memorial Day (76%), Mother’s Day (76%), Veterans Day (75%), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (70%), Father’s Day (70%), Halloween (69%), Labor Day (68%), and Easter (68%).
Other holidays on the list with religious ties include St. Patrick’s Day (ranked 12 with 65% saying they like the day), Valentine’s Day (13th, 57%), Hanukkah (15th, 53%), Ramadan, the Islamic month of prayer and fasting (17th, 33%), and Ed al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice in Islam, (18th, 23%).
Religious implications
Despite not having as overt religious themes as Christmas, Thanksgiving is still seen by most as an opportunity to give thanks to God. Americans are most likely to say they use the day to give thanks to their family (68%) or God (67%), according to Lifeway Research. Additionally, 56% said in a 2023 study that the most important part of Thanksgiving for them is being thankful to God for their blessings.
For its part, Christmas obviously remains a popular and important holiday in the country and on the church calendar. Nine in 10 Americans say they celebrate Christmas, according to Lifeway Research, including 82% of the religiously unaffiliated and 74% of those who practice non-Christian faiths.
9 in 10 Americans say they celebrate Christmas, including 82% of the religiously unaffiliated and 74% of those who practice non-Christian faiths. Share on XA 2015 Lifeway Research study found 61% of Americans said they typically attend church during Christmas. Last year, around half of pastors said Christmas Eve is their most attended service during the season. In 2018, 65% of U.S. adults said the holiday should be more about Jesus.
While a recent Lifeway Research study found most Americans (72%) say Christmas celebrates a historical event, many aren’t sure exactly why Jesus came to earth. Another study finds only 22% of Americans believe they can retell the entire biblical Christmas story accurately.
Both Christmas and Thanksgiving provide churches with opportunities to reach their community with good news of great joy that’s worthy of our giving thanks.
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