Holidays and Traditions - US - 2021

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Key issues covered in this Report
Definition
Market context
Economic and other assumptions
COVID-19: US context
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Top takeaways
Market overview
Figure 1: Holidays celebrated prior to the pandemic, percentage of adults, 2021
Opportunities and challenges
Younger adults expect brands to acknowledge culturally specific holidays
Figure 2: Agreement that brands should recognize holidays from a variety of cultures, 2021
Parents – especially moms – fuel holiday celebrations
Figure 3: Holidays celebrated prior to the pandemic, by parental status, 2021
Opportunities to get dads excited about holiday celebrations
Figure 4: Agreement that holiday celebrations mean more to parents than adults without kids, by parental status, 2021
Consumers already think of family birthday celebrations as holidays
Figure 5: Types of holiday traditions, 2021
THE MARKET – KEY TAKEAWAYS
Winter holidays are almost universally celebrated 
Women are a better audience for holiday campaigns than men
Americans re-emerge with new outlook on holiday celebrations
HOLIDAYS BY THE NUMBERS
Nearly all adults celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving
Figure 6: Holidays celebrated prior to the pandemic, number of adults (in millions), 2021
Valentine’s Day rounds out the top three holidays in terms of reach
Figure 7: TURF Analysis – Holidays celebrated prior to the pandemic, 2021
On average, women observe more holidays than men do
Figure 8: Holidays celebrated prior to the pandemic, by gender identity, 2021
Not all US holidays are for everyone
Figure 9: Holidays celebrated prior to the pandemic, by race and Hispanic origin, 2021
Figure 10: Holidays celebrated prior to the pandemic, by race and Hispanic origin, 2021
IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS
Holiday travel slumped
Outdoor Halloween and Christmas decorations were big. Literally.
Figure 11: Social media post with photo of 12-foot skeleton, 2020
Two thirds of adults have new appreciation for holiday celebrations
Figure 12: Post-pandemic perspective on the importance of holiday celebrations, by parental status, 2021
For most, the best gift this year will be time in person with loved ones
Figure 13: Agreement that time with loved ones is the best gift this year, by gender and age, 2021
COMPANIES AND BRANDS – KEY TAKEAWAYS 
It’s the most wonderful time of the year 
The gift you give the earth 
Consumers are interested in learning about holidays from other cultures
Winter holidays were hard last year; this year will also be difficult
COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
Mintel Global Trend Drivers
Mintel Global Trend Driver: Experiences
Figure 14: Mintel Global Trend Driver, Experiences
Leveraging food-related nostalgia to build brand associations
Figure 15: Green bean casserole Instagram post, November 2020
Appealing to consumers’ sense of playfulness with seasonal promotions
Figure 16: Enjoyment of brands’ seasonal promotions, by gender and age, 2021
Figure 17: Twitter post with photo of Papa John’s Jack-o-lantern pizza, 2018
Mintel Global Trend Driver: Surroundings
Figure 18: Mintel Global Trend Driver, Surroundings
Offering products that help consumers celebrate sustainably
Figure 19: Reusable & Eco Furoshiki Fabric Book Cover - Quick & Easy, 2021
Mintel Global Trend Driver: Identity
Figure 20: Mintel Global Trend Driver Identity
Crossing outdoor holiday décor with fandom
Figure 21: Mickey Mouse inflatable Christmas decoration, 2020
MARKET OPPORTUNITIES 
To consumers, birthdays are essentially holidays
Figure 22: Word cloud representing open end responses about holidays celebrated or shopped for, 2021
Interest in holiday traditions from other cultures
Figure 23: Agreement that brands should recognize holidays from a variety of cultures, 2021
Opportunity to acknowledge families’ COVID-19-related losses
Figure 24: Agreement that “Celebrating holidays helps me remember people who I have lost,” 2021
THE CONSUMER – KEY TAKEAWAYS  
Families aren’t the only ones who have traditions 
Parents are more enthusiastic about holidays than adults without kids
Personal identity takes precedence over cultural background 
Christmas boasts the most celebratory traditions 
HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
Half of all adults have traditional family recipes
Figure 25: Types of holiday traditions, 2021
More than a third of adults have holiday traditions with friends
Figure 26: Percentage who have holiday-related traditions with friends, by gender and age, 2021
Brand spotlight: Friendsgiving
Figure 27: Plans to shop for Friendsgiving, 2021
One in five adults celebrates holidays from other cultures
Figure 28: Percentage who celebrate holidays from cultures different from their own, by race and Hispanic Origin, 2021
PARENTS, KIDS AND HOLIDAYS
Adults enjoy sharing their childhood traditions with kids
Figure 29: Agreement that “I enjoy sharing holiday traditions from my own childhood with the children in my family,” by parental status, 2021
Most parents won’t miss a chance to celebrate with others this year
Figure 30: Agreement that after the pandemic a chance to celebrate with others should not be missed, by parental status, 2021
Moms: holiday heroes 
Figure 31: Holidays celebrated prior to the pandemic, by parental status, 2021
Having kids changes men’s perspective on holiday celebrations
Figure 32: Agreement that holiday celebrations mean more to parents than adults without kids, by parental status, 2021
Households outgrow some holidays as kids get older 
Figure 33: Holidays celebrated prior to the pandemic, by age of children in household, 2021
CULTURE AND IDENTITY
“Me” before “we”
Figure 34: Connection between holidays, personal identity and cultural background, by race and Hispanic origin, 2021
Holidays resonate with parents’ sense of personal family identity
Figure 35: Connection between holidays, personal identity and cultural background, by parental status, 2021
Dads are strongest proponents of attending religious services on holidays
Figure 36: Importance of attending services on religious holidays, by parental status, 2021
CELEBRATING SPECIFIC HOLIDAYS
Not all holidays are celebrated the same way
Figure 37: Correspondence Analysis – Principal map – Ways of celebrating, 2021
Christmas and Halloween most popular for decorating
Figure 38: Ways of celebrating specific holidays, 2021
PLANS FOR 2021 CELEBRATIONS
The vaccine offers hope for the return of holiday traditions
Most adults are ready to spend time with friends and family in person
Figure 39: Level of comfort with activities, 2021
Social gatherings and parties will stay small this fall 
Multicultural consumers more reluctant about social gatherings 
Figure 40: Comfort with attending or hosting a party/gathering, by race and Hispanic origin, 2021
Thanksgiving and Christmas are for celebrating with family 
Figure 41: Family members with whom adults plan to celebrate selected holidays, 2021
Halloween is for kids and communities
Figure 42: People with whom adults plan to celebrate selected holidays, 2021
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Consumer survey data
Consumer qualitative research
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
APPENDIX – THE CONSUMER
TURF analysis methodology
Figure 43: Table - TURF Analysis – Holidays celebrated prior to the pandemic, 2021
Figure 44: Table - TURF Analysis – 2021 comfort level with selected activities this fall, 2021
Correspondence analysis methodology
Figure 45: Pre-pandemic celebratory actions, by holiday, 2021