*In this report, “the holidays” refers to end-of-year holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah.
It takes work. Every festivity is powered by behind-the-scenes planners, home cooks, and hosts.
This report dives into how Magic Makers bring the holidays to life, highlighting the roles, traditions, food, and even stressors that go into making the season magical.
The survey featured in this report was conducted by Harris Poll in collaboration with Instacart. It analyzes the results of 2,000 U.S. adults by three main subgroups: 1) Holiday Celebrants: those who celebrate the winter holidays, 2) Holiday Planners: those who participate in holiday planning, and 3) Magic Makers: those who say it’s their responsibility to make it all happen during the holidays.
Shopping is one of the top stressors during the holidays.
The holiday season drives unmatched shopping activity, with over 1,000 grocery and retail categories hitting their highest cart activity of the year in just a few short weeks.
0%
of holiday celebrants say meal planning/prep and grocery shopping are top holiday stressors
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Many holiday planners turn to grocery delivery apps (cough cough) for support.
Apps or services holiday planners use to help them manage winter holiday prep
Gift Shopping Apps or Websites
Gift Shopping Apps or Websites
40%
Grocery Delivery Apps
Grocery Delivery Apps
33%
Planning/Organization Apps
Planning/Organization Apps
32%
Order Prepared Meals/Dishes/Sweets from Local Vendor or Grocery Store
Order Prepared Meals/Dishes/Sweets from Local Vendor or Grocery Store
23%
Meal-Kit Delivery Services
Meal-Kit Delivery Services
14%
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Because Instacart is here when you need it most, we looked at which items surge most during the holidays and where they’re most popular.
Over 1,000 grocery and retail categories reach their highest cart activity of the year during the holiday season.
Comparing each category’s busiest day of 2024 to its average daily order volume
Cranberries
+1,951%
order share two days before Thanksgiving
Sage
+1,600%
Canned Cranberries
+1,596%
Frozen Pie Crusts
+1,094%
Turkey Breast
+1,044%
Boxed Stuffing
+1,009%
Corn Syrup
+959%
Crispy Fried Onions
+942%
Pie Mixes
+883%
Pumpkin Pie Spice Mixes
+876%
Source: Instacart Internal Data. Instacart analyzed the share of orders in which each product category appeared on every day of 2024. From this, we identified categories that reached their peak share of orders in the days leading up to and the day of Thanksgiving and Christmas. For each category, we calculated the percentage difference between its peak-day share and its overall yearly average share. In total, 1,105 unique categories reached their peak order share within the seven-day periods ending on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
What about in your state?
How much does your state order compared to the national average?
Order share of vs national average
In December 2024
-100%
Average
100%
Insufficient data
Order share of vs national average
In December 2024
-100%
Average
100%
Insufficient data
Source: Instacart Internal Data. For each category that peaked around Thanksgiving or Christmas, Instacart calculated its share of orders by state during the holiday month and measured the percentage difference from the national average for that same period.
Insight 2
Few holiday traditions stir up more debate than pie.
Whether it’s store bought or grandma’s recipe, pie categories see a significant spike across the U.S. during the holiday season.
Most uniquely popular pie per state
Cherry Pie
Chess Pie
Chocolate Pie
Coconut Custard Pie
Cream Pie
French Silk Pie
Lemon Pie
Peanut Butter Pie
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
Most uniquely popular pie per state
Nov 22–Nov 28, 2024
Most uniquely popular pie per state
Nov 22–Nov 28, 2024
Source: Instacart Internal Data. Instacart calculated the share of pies sold by type in each state during the seven-day period ending on Thanksgiving Day (November 22–28, 2024). Each state’s share was then compared to the national share of pie types for the same period, and the pie type with the largest difference from the national average was identified for each state. Data from select retailers removed from certain states as legally required.
One of the top holiday foods? Store-bought pie. and some generations may be passing them off as homemade.
Gen Z holiday planners are passing off holiday staples as homemade more often than you’d think.
Holiday planners who have passed off a store-bought food item as homemade during the winter holidays, by generation
At least once
Never
Gen Z (18-28)
82%
18%
Millennials (29-44)
65%
35%
Gen X (45-60)
50%
50%
Baby Boomers (61-79)
25%
75%
Source: Harris Poll Survey
0%
of Gen Z holiday planners have passed off a store-bought food item as homemade
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Insight 3
Holiday spirit looks different across generations.
From turkey duty to tidying up, someone has to take charge. Each generation has their own way of rolling up their sleeves during the holidays—and different motivations behind their efforts.
0%
of all Magic Makers are Millennials and Gen X’ers
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Millennials are taking the lead during the holiday season.
Holiday celebrants who “make it all happen” during the holiday season, by generation
Gen Z (18-28)
Gen Z (18-28)
25%
Millennials (29-44)
Millennials (29-44)
40%
Gen X (45-60)
Gen X (45-60)
32%
Baby Boomers (61-79)
Baby Boomers (61-79)
26%
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Each generation has its own reasons for taking on holiday responsibilities.
Holiday planners’ motivations for taking on holiday responsibilities, by generation
Gen Z
Gen Z
34%
Millennials
Millennials
30%
Gen X
Gen X
28%
Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers
19%
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Some holiday planners feel the season’s stress more than others.
Holiday planners weigh in: is the season more joyful or more stressful?
More joyful
Equally joyful and stressful
More stressful
Gen Z (18-28)
48%
35%
17%
Millennials (29-44)
55%
29%
16%
Gen X (45-60)
56%
31%
13%
Baby Boomers (61-79)
62%
25%
13%
Source: Harris Poll Survey
0%
of Magic Makers say the holidays are more joyful than stressful
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Insight 4
Making holiday magic comes with extra work—and more stress.
In particular, women tend to take on more of the planning and responsibilities during the holiday season. It’s often motivated by love, tradition, or wanting to ensure things go smoothly, but also leaves them feeling more overwhelmed during peak holiday chaos.
0%
of women holiday planners say their holiday preparations take 20+ hours
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Among holiday celebrants, women are most likely to be the ones who make it all happen.
The role of holiday celebrants during winter holiday celebrations
Women
Men
I'm the one who makes it all happen
37%
25%
I share planning equally with others
31%
28%
I help out, but someone else leads
16%
18%
I mostly show up and enjoy
16%
29%
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Women holiday planners carry the holiday load out of love, enjoyment, or necessity.
Motivations for taking on winter holiday responsibilities among holiday planners
Women
Women
44%
Men
Men
39%
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Among holiday planners, men are more likely to say their responsibilities are never overwhelming.
How often holiday planners feel overwhelmed by their winter holiday responsibilities, by gender
Women
Men
Always/Often
20%
16%
Sometimes
43%
31%
Rarely/Never
37%
53%
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Insight 5
Most Magic Makers feel appreciated for their holiday efforts.
While holiday responsibilities often fall more heavily on certain family members, most holiday planners still feel appreciated for their efforts. A little gratitude goes a long way, and small gestures of thanks can help lighten the emotional load for those who bring the season to life.
Despite the work holiday magic takes…
0%
of Magic Makers feel appreciated for the effort they put into the holidays
Only 11% say they don’t feel appreciated.
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Here are some of the ways Magic Makers slow down after the holidays.
Take the day to rest/relax
59%
Focus on cleaning up and putting things away
48%
Spend time with family and friends
48%
Shop post-holiday sales
31%
Catch up on work or errands
20%
Travel
15%
None - I return to my usual routine
6%
Source: Harris Poll Survey
Instacart is here to help lighten the holiday load, one cart at a time.
Share some love with the Magic Makers in your life.
Methodology
The survey featured in this report was conducted by Harris Poll in collaboration with Instacart. It analyzes the results of 2,000 U.S. adults by three main subgroups: 1) Holiday Celebrants: those who celebrate the winter holidays, 2) Holiday Planners: those who participate in holiday planning, and 3) Magic Makers: those who say it’s their responsibility to make it all happen during the holidays.
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Instacart from September 18-22, 2025, among 2,079 adults ages 18+, among whom 1,980 plan to celebrate winter holidays this year, 1,924 who take on holiday responsibilities and 608 who are holiday Magic Makers (i.e., the ones responsible to make it all happen). The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact press@instacart.com.
