Candy canes are generally considered the most popular and consumed candy during the Christmas season, with roughly 1.76 billion produced annually and about 90% sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Other highly popular, widely consumed, and frequently gifted treats include chocolate Santas, peppermint bark, and Hershey's Kisses.
Candy canes claim the crown as America's most popular Christmas candy, with approximately 1.76 billion produced annually and 90% sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, the landscape of holiday sweets tells a more complex story.
Main takeaways. Here's a snapshot of what you need to know about the most purchased items for Christmas and how to leverage these trends for your creative business: Choice is king: Gift cards remain the most requested gift, signaling a strong consumer desire for personalization and the freedom to choose.
25 Forgotten Christmas Candies from the 1970s That have Disappeared!
What is the oldest candy on Earth?
The two oldest candy types are licorice and ginger. The historical roots of licorice are found in the early years of man's appearance. In particular, many licorice were eaten by Pharaohs and Prophets. The licorice comes from a plant called “Glycyrrhiza” which in Greek means «sweet root».
Gen Z snackers who reported in our survey that they prefer Lay's, Skittles and/or Sour Patch are referred to as a whole in this post as “extreme-flavor snackers”. Studies show how we interpret flavors is a result of various factors: genetics, demographics, cultural cuisines and emotions.
Personal development titles consistently rank among the most regifted or overlooked presents. Other common unwanted gifts include clothing the recipient didn't choose and socks, but self-help books top the list by a significant margin.
What's the biggest selling Christmas single of all time?
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby is not only the best-selling Christmas single in the United States, but also the best-selling single of all time since the advent of recorded music, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the No. 1 selling candy brand in the United States, consisting of white fudge, milk, or dark chocolate cups filled with peanut butter.
Ribbon candy is a traditional Christmas candy that goes back for centuries in Europe, though it is unclear exactly where the candy was first created. Confectioners developed the candy as a Christmas decoration for their shops, modeling the wavy form around the candy maker's thumb.
The "3 Gift Rule" is a minimalist gifting strategy, often for Christmas, inspired by the Magi's gifts to Jesus, focusing on quality over quantity by giving each person three purposeful presents: Something They Want, Something They Need, and Something to Read (or Do), reducing clutter and increasing thoughtfulness in gift-giving. It shifts focus from excessive consumerism to meaningful connection by encouraging deliberate choices for each category, leading to greater appreciation and less holiday stress.
The 5 Gift Rule for Christmas is a popular, simplified approach to gift-giving, limiting each person to five presents based on categories: Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read, and something to do/experience, with variations like "something to share" or "something to use". This tradition helps reduce holiday stress, clutter, and overspending by encouraging more thoughtful, purposeful, and experience-focused gifts rather than excessive materialism, promoting gratitude and mindfulness.
Christmas gifts are often exchanged on Christmas Eve (December 24), Christmas Day itself (December 25) or on the last day of the twelve-day Christmas season, Twelfth Night (January 5).
Due to ADHD your executive functioning skills may be impaired, which makes it difficult for you to organize and execute a measured plan for gift giving.
More than half of Gen Z drinkers say they "often or sometimes" opt for non-alcoholic beers, mocktails, or low-ABV cocktails when they're out socialising. They're not giving up the social aspect of drinking; instead, they're choosing alternatives that let them enjoy the experience without the downsides.
TikTok continues to dominate Gen Z's attention, but YouTube is regaining relevance, especially for longer-form content and in-depth product research. According to Pew Research, 67% of teens (which includes younger Gen Z) use TikTok, and 93% use YouTube regularly.
