in the United States are Memorial Day and Thanksgiving. While Memorial Day is celebrated on this day exclusively in the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated in a small 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 one of the favorite national holidays in the United States. It is celebrated on the 25th of December, as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. Approximately 85 percent of Americans
celebrate Christmas. Christmas has enormous retail value. According to a recent study,
Christmas shopping starts for over 40 percent of Americans before the end of October, and on average, consumers in the United States
planned to spend roughly 870 U.S. dollars as of 2022. 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 adoption 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 2022, 84 percent of Americans said they
celebrate the Fourth of July. This share is considerably higher when compared to 2020, 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 2023, however, 81 percent of Americans stated they
celebrate Easter. 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, and going to church. When compared to other major celebrations, Americans tend 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.
