How Much Americans Spend on the 10 Biggest Holidays

Americans have plenty of reasons to celebrate. Whether watching the biggest football game of the year with friends, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or hunkering down with our nearest and dearest family members for a cozy winter celebration of Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or Diwali, we have holidays and big life events throughout the year.

Even in the more restrictive days of the COVID-19 pandemic, holidays can be expensive. Food, drinks, clothes, books, gifts, school supplies and travel all run up the bills. Here, you’ll see the average spending per person for major U.S. holidays and “seasonal events,” as the retail industry calls them. They are listed from the least costly to those that can leave your bank account empty if you’re not careful.

Our data comes from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics Monthly Consumer Spending Surveys. It reflects consumers’ average planned spending in 2019 and 2020.

Super Bowl

• 2019 average planned spending per-person: $81.30
• 2020 average planned spending per-person: $88.65

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Halloween

• 2019 average planned spending per-person: $86.27
• 2020 average planned spending per-person: $92.12

Graduation

• 2019 average planned spending per-person: $107.46
• 2020 average planned spending per-person: $112.30

Father’s Day

• 2019 average planned spending per-person: $138.97
• 2020 average planned spending per-person: $148.58

Valentine’s Day

• 2019 average planned spending per-person: $161.96
• 2020 average planned spending per-person: $196.31

Easter

• 2019 average planned spending per-person: $151.25
• 2020 average planned spending per-person: Not available

Mother’s Day

• 2019 average planned spending per-person: $196.47
• 2020 average planned spending per-person: $204.74

Back to school

• 2019 average planned spending per-person: $696.70
• 2020 average planned spending per-person: $789.49

Winter holidays

• 2019 average planned spending per-person: $1,047.83
• 2020 average planned spending per-person: $997.79

Back to college

• 2019 average planned spending per-person: $976.78
• 2020 average planned spending per-person: $1,059.20