National holidays in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts

The most popular national holidays in the United States are Christmas and Thanksgiving. While Christmas is celebrated around the world, Thanksgiving is celebrated in a smaller number of countries. Other than in the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated also in Canada, Liberia, Saint Lucia, and Grenada. In the United States, the celebration is held on the fourth Thursday of November. In other countries, it might vary. Although it is observed in countries other than the U.S., people tend to think of Thanksgiving mainly as an American tradition.

Thanksgiving traditions through the centuries

In the United States, Thanksgiving has been celebrated since 1789, with a proclamation by President George Washington. Originally, the first Thanksgiving is known to have been celebrated by the Pilgrims after the first harvest they obtained in America. Indeed, the traditional dinner on this celebration day involves native food of the country. According to a recent survey, the two most common dishes on Thanksgiving are turkey and mashed potatoes. The most popular place to celebrate this day is at home, or at relatives’ or family’s place. Indeed, many Americans travel on the weekend of Thanksgiving, likely to reach family and friends.

Americans’ favorite holiday: Christmas

Christmas is the favorite national holiday in the United States, placed before Thanksgiving. It is celebrated on the 25th of December, as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. Approximately 85 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas. Christmas has an enormous retail value. According to a recent study, Christmas shopping starts for about 40 percent of Americans before the end of October, and on average, consumers in the United States planned to spend roughly 850 U.S. dollars as of 2020. Besides presents, an important purchase on Christmas is the tree. In 2019, U.S. consumers spent an average of 77 U.S. dollars on real Christmas trees.

Independence Day

Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, when the United States declared its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. In a survey conducted in 2020, 76 percent of Americans said they celebrate the Fourth of July. This share is considerably lower when compared to the previous years, which could be related to the coronavirus pandemic and the consequent rules applied to events and gatherings.

Easter celebrations

Like Independence Day, the share of people celebrating Easter in 2020 and in 2021 decreased compared to the previous years. In 2021, 79 percent of Americans stated they celebrated Easter. However, Easter tends to be less popular than other holidays. On this day, some of the most common celebrations are cooking a holiday meal, visiting family and friends, watching TV, and doing an Easter egg hunt. When compared to other major celebrations, Americans then to travel less frequently on Easter.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Share of Americans celebrating Christmas: 85%

Share of Americans celebrating 4th of July: 84%

Share of Americans celebrating Easter: 81%

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Shopping Behavior

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Shopping Behavior

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Christmas shopping

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Independence Day

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Easter

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Thanksgiving and Black Friday

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