Holidays, Ranked

The National Retail Federation projects US winter-holiday spending well above $900 billion annually, and Christmas consistently tops YouGov and Gallup favorite-holiday polls by a wide margin. No other holiday matches its combination of near-universal participation and net approval.

NRF pegged US Halloween spending at a record $13.1 billion in 2025 (up from $11.6 billion the prior year), with about 73% of consumers celebrating. It ranks as a top-favorite holiday among adults under 45 despite its non-federal status.

One of the most significant holidays on the planet, celebrated by over a billion people. Multi-day festivities, family reunions, incredible food, red envelopes, fireworks, and deep tradition. Enormous cultural weight and joy make it an easy S.

AAA regularly reports Thanksgiving as one of the busiest US travel periods of the year, with well over 50 million Americans traveling, and it scores high net favorability in polls as a low-conflict food-and-family holiday.

Celebrated worldwide, with the Times Square ball drop drawing an estimated billion-plus global TV viewers and Sydney's harbour fireworks watched by over a million people in person.

NRF estimates US Easter spending in the low-$20-billion range annually, and it is the most important feast in the Christian liturgical calendar, giving it both commercial scale and deep tradition.

The world's largest folk festival, drawing millions to Munich for beer, pretzels, lederhosen, and communal revelry. Incredible atmosphere and global imitators, but technically a festival more than a holiday, which keeps it just shy of S.

A deeply meaningful month of fasting, reflection, and community observed by nearly two billion Muslims. The nightly iftar gatherings and the spiritual discipline are profound, culminating in Eid. Immense significance, though the fasting demands earn it A rather than pure celebration.

A beautiful, life-affirming celebration honoring departed loved ones with marigolds, sugar skulls, ofrendas, and vivid parades. Rich in tradition and visually stunning, it turns grief into color and remembrance. A standout holiday.

Consistently the top US summer holiday for cookouts and fireworks, with the American Pyrotechnics Association reporting well over $2 billion in annual consumer and display fireworks revenue centered on July 4th.

Observed by an estimated one billion-plus people across Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism worldwide, making it one of the most-celebrated holidays on Earth by raw participation.

NRF reported US Valentine's spending at a record $27.5 billion in 2025, yet YouGov polling repeatedly finds a large share of adults indifferent or actively negative toward it, capping its consensus ceiling.

A vibrant celebration of Mexican heritage that's become a major cultural and party occasion, especially in the US. Great food, music, and festivity, but its actual historical significance (the Battle of Puebla) is widely misunderstood, and it leans heavily commercial. Fun but not top-tier.

WalletHub and industry estimates put US St. Patrick's Day spending around $6–7 billion, but it registers as a lighthearted drinking-and-parades day rather than a core family holiday in favorability rankings.

Widely and warmly observed, but within Judaism it is theologically a minor festival that gained cultural prominence largely due to its December proximity to Christmas.

New Orleans Mardi Gras generates hundreds of millions of dollars in annual economic impact for the city, but its cultural footprint is heavily concentrated regionally rather than nationwide.

A welcome three-day weekend that marks the unofficial end of summer with barbecues and sales. Pleasant enough, but it lacks strong traditions or distinct identity beyond a day off, landing it squarely mid-tier.

A single-town spectacle in Punxsutawney whose weather-predicting groundhog has a documented accuracy rate near chance (~35–40% by NOAA analyses), keeping it firmly in fun-trivia rather than must-observe territory.

Regularly lands among the least-liked observances in polls, and brand pranks have repeatedly backfired badly enough that companies like Google suspended their April Fools' campaigns, underscoring its low goodwill.