What 100 Women Think About the Holiday Season: 54% Love It; 46% Not So Much

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As one women said, "I always get so stressed because there’s not enough time to get everything done. I feel pressure to keep working as always, but then making the holidays extra special for my kids."

Burlingame, CA (PRWEB) December 16, 2013

SheByShe™, a new flash survey site dedicated to giving women a voice, asked 100 women from across America what they think about the holidays. While just over half, 54 percent, say they absolutely love the holidays, just under half, 46 percent, either dread or are ambivalent about the holiday season. Forty-three percent of women say by the end of the holiday season they are ready for it all to be over. Find the full slideshow outlining survey results here.

For many women, the holiday season brings out feelings of high expectations and stress. Forty-five percent often feel guilty about not doing enough for their families, 43 percent find themselves feeling extremely stressed out during the holidays and 20 percent end up extremely depressed.

As one women said, "I always get so stressed because there’s not enough time to get everything done. I feel pressure to keep working as always, but then making the holidays extra special for my kids."

Another women, commented, "The stress of hosting, financial strain, music that I don't like and social obligations that I either don't want or have just too many of."

Bringing Out the Grinch

Contrary to popular beliefs, most women do not enjoy shopping for holiday gifts. Sixty percent say they don’t enjoy shopping at all or are ambivalent about shopping for gifts. Fifty-six percent of women don’t like or are ambivalent about sending out holiday cards. Most women, 53 percent, enjoy attending holiday parties but would prefer that someone else host them.

Women also feel financial pressure during the holidays. Sixty-one percent feel they spend too much money during the season. Fifty-eight percent create a holiday budget, but 36 percent don’t stick to it.

Holiday Season Enjoyment

Despite the stress and obligations, for nearly all women, the holidays are worth it. Only 13 percent said they would skip the holidays all together if they could.

The most enjoyable holiday activity for women, cited by 67 percent, is traveling to see family and friends. Sixty-three percent most enjoy decorating the home; 62 percent said putting up and decorating a tree; and 59 percent said hosting family get togethers.

SheByShe asked women about their cherished family traditions. Some of those listed include: "Making and decorating sugar cookies and driving around town to look at the lights while they cool." "My family gets together on Christmas Day and the meal is same every year; it’s a tradition we can't break," and "Making handmade gifts for friends and family."

Read many more cherished family traditions here.

Over 60 Tips Shared on How to Enjoy the Holidays

SheByShe also asked women to share holiday advice and tips. Below is just a sample of over 60 pieces of advice left by women. All can be found here.    

One woman said, "Relax, do the best you can! The family is the most important part of the holidays! They will remember the time you spent with them, not the meals and the gifts!" While another advised, "Make task lists. Keep it simple. Remember the goal is to enjoy. If you’re too stressed, then you probably need to eliminate the amount of things you’re doing." And, a third said, "Get massages, pedicures and manis during the holidays just to relax."

When it comes to managing money during the holiday season, women listed some of their proven techniques. One said, "Go shopping together if possible. That way you can encourage each other not to impulse buy. If not, stick to the list." Another said, "Before you shop, think about how much you are willing to spend on each person and then try to find something within that price range." And, a third said, "Don't get sucked into consumerism. Make gifts such as pine pillows or candy." All money management tips are listed here.

SheByShe is Providing Women a Voice

The complete SheByShe "What 100 Women Think About the Holidays" report can be found here. The survey collected hundreds of insightful pieces of advice, tips and comments.

The Holidays survey was conducted in December 2013 and elicited responses from over 100 women across the country.

About SheByShe

SheByShe is a flash survey site dedicated to sharing what women think about important issues. SheByShe is committed to being objective and transparent. SheByShe is not affiliated with any political party, religion or other group. Surveys are fielded to cover current social, lifestyle, economic, and political issues. Results are posted on SheByShe.com and are shared with key influencers and publicized through major media and information dissemination sources. Participating women feel satisfied that they are speaking up and sharing their point-of-view. For more information or to contact SheByShe please go to http://www.shebyshe.com.

SheByShe is a trademark of SheByShe. All other product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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