What Americans Think about Daily Life

[Doug64]

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 31% of American Adults say they’ll get dressed up for Halloween this year, but 61% won’t be wearing costumes. Fifty-three percent (53%) decorate their homes for Halloween, while 44% don’t, findings almost unchanged from 2021. By comparison, 70% of Americans last year said they would decorate their homes for the Christmas holidays.

 

[Ahlevah]

Halloween has been completely pussified. Thanks to “inclusivity” and “equity” concerns, many schools have canceled their costume parades and turned what remains into a joke. There are so many restrictions as to make them almost pointless. Good thing parents have Disney princes and princesses to fall back on. They seem to have cornered the costume market. Just make sure Little Riley doesn’t dress up like Pocahontas or Moana lest she upset the indigenous community. Good thing Norwegians are good sports. And God help the kid who wants to dress up like Michael Meyers. He, his mask, and rubber knife would never make it past the office.

 

[Doug64]

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 69% of American Adults consider themselves religious, including 24% who say they’re Very Religious. This finding is unchanged from October 2022. Among those under 40, however, just 48% consider themselves religious, including 17% who say they’re Very Religious. The number of under-40 Very Religious adults has declined from 20% two years ago. By comparison, 81% of those 65 and older consider themselves religious, including 35% who are Very Religious.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 39% of American Adults say they have already started their holiday gift shopping, while 58% haven’t started shopping yet. The number who have started their holiday shopping in mid-November is down from 45% last year. Sixty (60%) of Americans plan to do at least half of their holiday shopping online. That includes 27% who expect to do most of their gift shopping online and 11% who say they’ll purchase all their holiday gifts online. Another 23% will do some online shopping for the holidays, and just 12% won’t do any. Last year, 64% expected to do at least half their holiday shopping online.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 25% of American Adults plan to travel away from home this Thanksgiving – up from 22% last year, but still less than the 27% who had Thanksgiving travel plans in 2022. Seventy-nine percent (79%) are planning on getting together with family or friends this Thanksgiving, almost the same as the 78% who planned Thanksgiving gatherings last year.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 77% of American Adults say they have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Just 13% do not, while 10% are undecided. These findings are just barely changed from 2019. Forty-four percent (44%) rank Thanksgiving as one of our nation’s most important holidays, down slightly from 46% last year. Only nine percent (9%) view today’s holiday as one of the least important, while 46% rate it somewhere in between. For many years, most Americans ranked Christmas the most important holiday, but it recently has been overtaken by the Fourth of July.

 

[MAGAnificent]

This is my third thread dealing with Rasmussen polls. My first (What Americans Think about Politics) and second (What Americans Think about President Biden) are solidly political, naturally enough, but not all Rasmussen polls are political--occasionally they deal with anything from who we think will win the Superbowl to whether we should have a separate holiday for Abraham Lincoln's birthday. As with the first thread, I have the same premium membership as journalists use to get access to the crosstabs they use in their articles, so I can provide them if anyone professes an interest.

And the first poll in this thread, what American Adults think of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock.

To be honest, I don't really put much emphasis on opinion polls, especially in the campaign silly season. If they were all that accurate and scientific, the two political parties would forego internal polling.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 48% of American Adults say they’re likely to go shopping on the day after Thanksgiving to take advantage of Black Friday deals, with 22% who are Very Likely to do so. That’s up from 2022, when 43% planned to shop on Black Friday. Still, 50% of Americans aren’t likely to hit the stores for Black Friday sales today, including 11% who say it’s Not At All likely they’ll be shopping today. Many retailers have begun offering Black Friday deals beyond just one day, and many have already started. But despite the extended deals, only 37% say they’ve already taken advantage of any of those sales this year, while most (59%) have not.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 69% of American Adults say they will decorate their home this holiday season, while 22% say they won’t. Seventy-three percent (73%) will have a Christmas tree this year. These findings are almost identical to last year. Forty-three percent (43%) of Americans say they’d already started decorating their home for the holidays before Thanksgiving, while 55% had not gotten started on holiday decorations.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 65% of American Adults believe Christmas is over-commercialized, while 27% say it’s not. The number who think Christmas is too commercialized is unchanged from 2022, and slightly lower than 2017, when 72% felt the holiday was too commercialized. Fifty-six percent (56%) say stores start the Christmas season too early, while 32% disagree and 12% are not sure. In 2022, 58% believed stores started the season too soon.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 69% of American Adults say they will decorate their home this holiday season, while 22% say they won’t. Seventy-three percent (73%) will have a Christmas tree this year. These findings are almost identical to last year. Forty-three percent (43%) of Americans say they’d already started decorating their home for the holidays before Thanksgiving, while 55% had not gotten started on holiday decorations.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 62% of American Adults haven’t finished their holiday gift shopping, while 34% say they’re all done with their gift list. The number of last-minute shoppers is up from 52% in 2022. While two-thirds (66%) have at least started holiday gift shopping, 30% have not.

Happy to say that I'm among the 34% that are all done!

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 51% of American Adults have gotten a flu shot this year, while 46% have not. That’s an increase from December 2022, when 47% had gotten the influenza vaccine, but still below the 55% who had gotten their flu shot in October 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak hit in early 2020. Of those who haven’t gotten a flu shot yet, 16% say they intend to get one this year, while 73% don’t plan on it and another 11% are not sure if they’ll get a flu shot.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 57% of American Adults consider Christmas to be one of our nation's most important holidays, up from 53% last year. Only nine percent (9%) consider Christmas one of the least important holidays, while 29% place Christmas somewhere in between. Ever since Rasmussen Reports began asking this question, Christmas was America’s favorite holiday until last year, when it fell behind the Fourth of July, rated one of the most important holidays by 59%.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 67% of American Adults expect to be at home at midnight when the New Year arrives, down from 71% last year. Fourteen percent (14%) plan to welcome 2024 at a friend's house, while six percent (6%) say they’ll be at a restaurant or bar and seven percent (7%) will be somewhere else at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Forty-three percent (43%) will kiss someone at midnight to welcome the New Year, while 40% will not. Another 17% aren’t sure if they’ll get the traditional midnight kiss on New Year’s Eve.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 49% of American Adults who regularly watch college football believe the Buckeyes will win Monday’s NCAA title game in New Orleans, while 34% think the Fighting Irish will win and 17% are not sure. Oddsmakers have made Ohio State the favorite by more than a touchdown Monday night, when the college football title will be decided for the first time after the playoff field expanded from four to 12 teams. Forty-seven percent (47%) of fans say having more teams has made the college football playoffs better, while 17% think the new 12-team format is worse and 33% believe expanding the playoff field has not made much difference.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 44% of American Adults expect Kansas City to win Super Bowl LIX, while 24% think the Eagles will win, and 32% are not sure. Former NFL great Terrell Owens is the latest to claim that league officials have favored the Chiefs, who are seeking their third consecutive Lombardi Trophy. Forty-five percent (45%) of Americans believe NFL officials are rigging the outcomes of games, including 18% who say it’s Very Likely. Thirty-six percent (36%) don’t think NFL games are being rigged by officials, including 14% who say it’s Not At All Likely. Another 20% are not sure.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 63% of American Adults say what they’d like most for Valentine's Day is dinner with someone special. Just 16% prefer chocolate candy and only 13% would like flowers the most. These findings have scarcely changed since last year. Just seven percent (7%) of Americans think Valentine’s Day is one of the nation’s most important holidays while 49% say it’s one of the least important and 36% place it somewhere in between. Ranking the most important holidays, Americans put the Fourth July and Christmas at the top of the list, with Valentine’s Day trailing far behind near the bottom.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 23% of American Adults say they have already filed their income taxes. Another 55% intend to file by the April 15 deadline, while seven percent (7%) are planning on getting an extension. Fifteen percent (15%) say they are not sure. These findings are almost identical to February 2024. Thirty-one percent (31%) of Americans anticipate getting a refund, slightly lower than this time last year. Twenty-five percent (25%) say they will owe the government money, while 23% expect to pretty much break even. Twenty-one percent (21%) are not sure.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 47% of American Adults say they will be wearing green today, while 30% will not and 23% are not sure. These findings are almost unchanged since St. Patrick’s Day 2023. The wearing of green for St. Patrick’s Day is most popular among Americans who claim Irish ancestry. Eleven percent (11%) of those surveyed say their ancestry is mostly Irish – the same as in 2022 – while another 34% say they have some Irish ancestry. Forty-three percent (43%) say they are not Irish at all, and 13% aren’t sure if they have any Irish ancestry.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 65% of American Adults say the arrival of spring puts them in a better mood, just slightly higher than in 2018. Only eight percent (8%) say the arrival of spring puts them in a worse mood, while 24% say it has no impact on their mood. One obvious reason to be happy about the first day of spring is because it marks the end of winter, which is most Americans’ least favorite season. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say spring is their favorite season of the year, tied with fall, while 31% name summer as their favorite. Just 10% say winter is their favorite season.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 51% of American Adults say they have already filed their income taxes. Another 28% intend to file by the April 15 deadline, while seven percent (7%) are planning on getting an extension. Forteen percent (14%) say they are not sure. Thirty-nine percent (39%) now anticipate getting a refund from the IRS – up from 36% in April last year – while 23% say they will owe the government money. Twenty-one percent (21%) expect to pretty much break even, but 17% percent are not sure.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 66% of American Adults say religious faith is important to their daily lives – down slightly from 70% in April 2024 – including 41% who consider faith Very Important. Thirty percent (30%) don’t view religious faith as important to their daily lives, including 16% who say it’s Not At All Important. Only 20% attend their church, synagogue or mosque at least weekly, while another 14% say they attend at least monthly. Twenty-three percent (23%) attend religious services occasionally, but 37% rarely or never attend a church, synagogue or mosque.

 

[Doug64]

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 28% of American Adults believe Pope Leo XIV will be better than his predecessor, Pope Francis, while 10% think the new pope wll be worse than Francis. Forty-two percent (42%) expect Leo XIV to be about the same as Pope Francis, and another 21% are not sure. Pope Leo XIV was elected May 8, replacing the Argentine-born Francis, who died in April after leading the Catholic Church since 2013. Thirty-five percent (35%) of American Adults believe that, in terms of his leadership of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis was better than most recent popes, while 20% think Francis was worse and 27% say the late pope was about the same as most of his recent predecessors as the Catholic leader. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure.

 

[Doug64]

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 61% of American Adults consider Memorial Day the unofficial start of summer, and just 23% disagree, while another 16% are not sure. Forty-three percent (43%) consider Memorial Day to be one of our nation's most important holidays – barely changed from last year – while just eight percent (8%) view it as one of our least important holidays, and 43% rank it somewhere in between. Ranking the most important holidays, Americans put the Fourth of July and Christmas at the top of the list.

 

[Allan]

You have to sign-in or create an account to read it. Frankly, when reading what Americans like or dislike, I get depressed. With all due respect.

Americans dislike paywalled survey articles.