On December 4-8, a nationwide poll of 1,146 adults was conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The study, drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, reported a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points for adults overall. The results paint a picture of how Americans feel about holiday gifts, celebrations, and traditions as the year ends.
Cash as a Common Holiday Gift
About six in ten Americans say cash or gift cards are “very” acceptable as holiday presents, a figure that drops when the item is secondhand or re-gifted. Two-thirds of adults under 45 say cash is a “very” acceptable gift, compared with 55% of adults age 45 or older. “Everything’s too expensive nowadays. And I don’t want to go buy a gift for somebody and then it turns out they don’t like it. So cash,” said Gabriel Antonucci, 26, a ski resort cook in Alaska.
“Cash is OK for the grandkids I guess,” said Nancy Wyant, 73, in rural central Iowa. “But I’m a gift giver.” She added that she will be fast asleep before 2026 rolls around, noting, “At our age, we don’t do anything,” the retired bus driver said with a laugh of herself and her live-in partner. “He’s set in his ways.”
Nine in ten respondents said cash or gift cards are at least “somewhat” acceptable, and 6 in 10 said the same for secondhand gifts and re-gifted items. Still, many adults are hesitant about the charm of a cash present.
Secondhand and Re-Gifted Items
Teresa Pedroza, a 55-year-old mom of two adult sons in central Florida, expressed a clear preference for original gifts. “I don’t like it when kids say they want cash, or I should get teenagers gift cards,” she said. “It kind of takes some of the charm away from gift giving.” She acknowledged reaching for cards a time or two out of convenience.
About three-quarters of adults under age 45 say secondhand gifts are at least “somewhat” acceptable, compared with roughly 6 in 10 adults age 45 or older. About 4 in 10 adults age 45 or older say secondhand gifts are “somewhat” or “very” unacceptable.
Holiday Décor Habits
The poll found that roughly one-third of U.S. adults say they’ll leave holiday decorations up after New Year’s Day. It is more common for people to keep the décor displayed than to put it up early. About 2 in 10 Americans say they put up holiday decorations before Thanksgiving.
“I just had my husband bring down the bins. If we weren’t expecting company, I wouldn’t even bother to decorate, honestly. I’m tired of doing that,” said Pedroza.
Christmas Day Activities
About one-quarter of U.S. adults say they’re planning to watch sports on Christmas Day, while only 5% will head for a movie theater. Men are much likelier than women to say they’ll watch sports on Christmas, and older Americans are more likely than younger Americans to tune in. About 2 in 10 adults under age 45 say they plan to watch sports on Christmas, compared with about 3 in 10 adults age 45 or older.
Otis Phillips, 23, a master’s student in Seattle, said, “It’s one of the holidays that doesn’t really feel special to me,” but he plans to break out his red sweater with the green Christmas tree that one of his grandmothers knitted for him a couple of years ago. “She made all kinds of things for me growing up,” said Phillips. “This is by far my favorite.”
Women are much likelier than men to say they’ll wear a holiday sweater or accessories.
Gifts for Pets and Elf on the Shelf
About 3 in 10 U.S. adults say they will give a gift to their pet this year. In Iowa, Wyant’s nearly 3-year-old boxer-Great Dane mix named Indy is among them. “She’s a very spoiled dog,” Wyant said. “She’s got too many toys, so she’s getting treats this year. She loves her treats.”
Only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults said they’ll use the Elf on the Shelf tradition. “Noooo,” Pedroza said when asked if she’d ever done the elf for her kids. “My younger son was very well-behaved. I didn’t have to use any kind of tactics.”
Key Takeaways
- 60% of Americans find cash gifts acceptable, especially younger adults.
- 44% will not stay awake for the New Year, with many keeping decorations up past New Year’s Day.
- Only 10% plan to use Elf on the Shelf, while 30% give gifts to pets.
The poll highlights how gift preferences, décor habits, and holiday activities vary across age groups, offering a snapshot of American holiday culture as 2025 comes to a close.
