National Poll reveals spending habits and festive insights ahead of the Christmas holidays

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

The holidays are fast approaching and for many people, this is an exceptionally festive time of the year, a time when folks gather together with family and friends whom they sometimes have not seen in a whole year.

For many, this holiday season, however, is different in many ways and especially from a financial point of view.

A recent study by Party Casino Canada revealed that nearly a third of Canadians who celebrate Christmas would spend less on the festive season this year.

The average Canadian usually spends an average of $530 on Christmas each year, but this year, 32% of people plan to spend less.

Quebecers and Ontarians appear to be the most generous around the Christmas season. Less than one in five people plan to spend more this holiday season. Maybe the feeling is that a difficult 2021 means they deserve a more special Christmas than usual.

The study also found that residents of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon Territory are ready to spend more than most this Christmas, with nearly half {45%) saying they plan to spend more than usual, and more than twice the number of people (36%) looking to spend more than $1,000.

All these regions have been more generous with other festivities during the year too with almost triple the number of people spending more than any other part of Canada.

In comparison, residents of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta are spending the least, with two in five (40%) slashing their Christmas spending.

Christmas is the most special celebration of the year for most Canadians overall (57%) and Halloween is in the top category as well.

The yearly Christmas dinner is Canada’s favourite holiday tradition for 58% of Canadians, with those in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick enjoying it the most.

60% of residents reported Christmas as their top tradition, while half of Francophones and Ontarians say giving gifts is most dear to them at that time of the year, and are also the most likely to get into the Christmas spirit the earliest, with 41% putting their tree and decorations up a full month or more before Christmas day.

Party Casino marketing manager, David Winter, said: “With Christmas reported by the majority of Canadians as being their favourite annual celebration, it’s perhaps no surprise that people put aside a budget for it. But, after a difficult 2021 during which many have had to tighten their belts across the board, it’s also no massive surprise that a good deal of people are having to cut back this year.”

“With the pressure to spend on Christmas weighing heavy on many peoples’ minds, it could be that simply treasuring the extra time with family and friends takes more of a centre stage this year.”

The world has been turned upside down for almost two years now and we as humans would be better off taking care of our “needs” as opposed to our “wants” especially around this time of year.

The true spirit of the holidays is family not putting ourselves in debt to distribute gifts, after all the most precious gift one can receive or give is that of genuine love.

Many of our community small businesses have gone never to return, therefore, it is important that as a community, as a country, and as a nation that we support the remaining small businesses who are hanging on by their shoestrings because it will be up to us to determine if they rise or fall in these perilous times. So on this note, let us all come together and show our local businesses some love.