When It Comes To Holiday Traditions, Baby Boomers Aren't So Different Than Their Own Babies.
Some people love statistics. For me, not so much. I recognize the value of good market data. It's just not the most stimulating of reading matter. But in light of the holiday season, as well as our recent discussions in this space about generational issues, I thought I'd share with you some interesting statistics I recently came across.
It seems that, for all their differences in lifestyle choices and attitudes, when it comes to holiday traditions there are less differences among generations than one might imagine. For example, the one thing most people look forward to in the holiday season is spending time with family and friends. While it is somewhat less important to those 18-32 than the 64+ generation, nearly two-thirds of us put this activity way at the top of our list.
By contrast, eight percent of the public says they don't look forward to the holidays and, with the exception of the 18-32 Generation Y at four percent, this attitude is pretty consistent among all age groups. Maybe the younger generation hasn't had time to get as cynical about the holidays as their older counterparts.
Care to know what the scores for "favorite animated holiday TV special" are? Take a look at these numbers:
| Favorite Animated Holiday TV Special (% of Respondents) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animated Holiday TV Special | Total | Generation | ||||
| 2006 | 2009 | Gen Y | Gen X | Boomers | Matures | |
| Source: HarrisPoll, November 2009 | ||||||
| Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | 26 | 23 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 16 |
| How the Grinch Stole Christmas | 21 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 19 | 12 |
| A Charlie Brown Christmas | 24 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 25 |
| Frosty the Snowman | 8 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 11 |
| The Year Without a Santa Claus | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| None of These | 19 | 22 | 17 | 15 | 24 | 34 |
It also seems we are pretty united on our selections of favorite and most annoying Christmas music. At the top of the list of faves are "Oh, Holy Night", "Jingle Bells", "The Little Drummer Boy", "Joy to the World", "Silver Bells" and "I'll be Home for Christmas." However, "Jingle Bells" is also considered one of the most annoying, right up with "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer."
And that seems like a pretty good place to end this discussion of generational attitudes towards the holidays.
Have a great one. And here's to a Happy & Prosperous New Year.
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