Majority of U.S. Adults Most Look Forward to Being With Friends and Family for the Holidays, According to Latest Harris Poll

Majority of U.S. Adults Most Look Forward to Being With Friends and Family for the Holidays, According to Latest Harris Poll

'It's a Wonderful Life' is the favorite holiday TV special for more than one in five U.S. adults

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- When thinking about the upcoming holidays, a large majority (70%) of U.S. adults say they most look forward to spending time with their family and friends. Holiday dinners and parties (7%), searching for perfect gifts (5%), watching television specials and hearing holiday songs (4%) and getting presents (3%) are all further down on the list of what adults most look forward to during the holiday season.

These are the results of a Harris Poll of 1,718 U.S. adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive(R) between November 15 and 22, 2005.

One interesting thing to note is the older you are, the more likely you are to say that you most look forward to spending time with friends and family for the holidays. Almost three-quarters (73%) of Baby Boomers and 79 percent of Matures (those 59 and older) say spending time with friends and family is the one thing they most look forward to for the holidays. Yet only half of Echo Boomers (52%) and two-thirds of Gen Xers (65%) say the same thing.

We also asked adults if they think most people feel, regardless of how they personally feel, the holiday season is a time for loved ones and traditions or if most think it is a time for shopping and presents. Three in five (61%) adults believe most people think it is a time for loved ones and traditions, compared to 39 percent who believe most people fall into the commercialism of the season, thinking of presents and shopping.

An added bonus of this season is the television specials and movies celebrating the holidays. When asked what their favorite holiday television special is, almost one-quarter (22%) said "It's a Wonderful Life," while 18 percent chose "Miracle on 34th Street" as their favorite. Cartoons were a somewhat less popular choice with "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" leading the pack at 12 percent, followed by "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (11%), "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (10%), "Frosty the Snowman" (3%) and "The Year Without a Santa Claus" (1%). Twenty-three percent of all adults said none of these holiday TV specials were their favorite.

Not surprisingly, there is also a generational difference with regard to favorite holiday TV specials. Three in 10 (30%) Matures say "Miracle on 34th Street" is their favorite, while a similar number of Baby Boomers (29%) choose "It's A Wonderful Life" as their favorite. For the younger generations, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" comes out on top with 27 percent of Echo Boomers and 19 percent of Gen Xers citing the Dr. Seuss classic as their favorite holiday special.

Table 1

WHAT PEOPLE MOST LOOK FORWARD TO DURING THE Holiday season "Thinking of the upcoming holiday season, what is the one thing you most look

forward to?"

Base: All Adults
Generation
Total Echo Baby
Boomers Gen X Boomers Matures
(18-27) (28-39) (40-58) (59+)

% % % % %
Spending time with
family and friends 70 52 65 73 79
Holiday dinners and
parties 7 16 7 6 3
Searching for perfect
gifts for people 5 11 4 4 4
Watching television
specials and hearing
holiday songs on the
radio 4 3 4 5 4
Getting presents 3 6 6 3 -
Other 11 12 13 9 10

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Table 2
PERCEPTIONS OF WHAT MOST PEOPLE THINK OF THE HOLIDAYS

"Regardless of how you personally feel, do you think most people today feel the holiday season is a time to be with the ones they love and celebrate their

traditions or a time to receive presents and do a lot of shopping?"

Base: All Adults
Total
%
Time to be with the ones they love 61
Time to receive presents 39

Table 3
Favorite Holiday TV special
"Which of these is your favorite holiday TV special?"

Base: All Adults
Generation
Total Echo Baby
Boomers Gen X Boomers Matures
(18-27) (28-39) (40-58) (59+)

% % % % %
It's a Wonderful Life 22 14 14 29 23
Miracle on 34th
Street 18 6 8 19 30
How the Grinch Stole
Christmas 12 27 19 9 2
A Charlie Brown
Christmas 11 11 16 13 5
Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer 10 16 17 9 2
Frosty the Snowman 3 3 5 2 4
The Year Without
a Santa Claus 1 1 2 1 -
None of these 23 21 19 19 33

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Methodology

The Harris Poll(R) was conducted online within the United States between November 15 and 22, 2005 among a nationwide cross section of 1,718 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

In theory, with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the sub- samples of Echo Boomers (246), Gen Xers (252), Baby Boomers (792) and Matures (428) is higher and varies. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order, and weighting. It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. This online sample was not a probability sample.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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Q850, Q855, Q860

About Harris Interactive(R)

Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/ ), based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll(R) and for its pioneering leadership in the online market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value.

Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/europe ) and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in Paris, France (http://www.novatris.com/ ), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, go to http://www.harrispollonline.com/ .

Press Contacts:

Nancy Wong
Harris Interactive
585-214-7316

Kelly Gullo
Harris Interactive
585-214-7172

Harris Interactive Inc. 12/05

Source: Harris Interactive Inc.

CONTACT: Nancy Wong, +1-585-214-7316, or Kelly Gullo, +1-585-214-7172,
both Harris Interactive

Web site: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/europe
http://www.novatris.com/

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