American Holiday Essentials

While every family celebrates the holiday season a little differently, each with its own sets of customs and traditions, there are things that most celebrants can agree on, things that are considered essential for a merry Christmas.

According to Statista Consumer Insights, a Christmas tree in the house tops the list of holiday must-haves this year, with 50 percent of Americans considering it essential to a proper celebration. Some proper holiday tunes (there's more than "Last Christmas") and Christmas movies, think “Home Alone”, “Love Actually” and (to some) “Die Hard”, are other key ingredients to the holiday season with 46 and 43 percent of Americans calling both essential traditions, respectively.

When asked about what they are looking forward to most thinking about the holiday season, Americans show that community and family still beat the commercial aspects of the holidays. 63 percent of the respondents look forward to spending time with friends and family, making it the top answer by far. Interestingly Americans also prefer giving presents (49 percent) over receiving them (28 percent), showing that not all is lost for Christmas romantics.