When the 2020 holiday season approached, Canadians were experiencing a unique moment. After months of lockdowns and hand-washing, there was no guarantee that the gatherings of years past were attainable. At the time, only 37 per cent of Canadians told us that they expected a “more fun than stressful” holiday season.

As our lives returned to normal, so did the proportion of Canadians who expected a whimsical December. This year, just over half of Canadians (52 per cent, down one point since 2024) expect this holiday season to be “more fun than stressful”, while three in 10 (30 per cent, down one point) believe it will be “more stressful than fun” and 18 per cent (up three points) are not sure.

Some groups are more likely to foresee a holiday season full of tension. These include Generation X (34 per cent), Atlantic Canadians (38 per cent), Albertans (34 per cent) and Canadians of European descent (also 34 per cent).

It was also in 2020 when we recorded the lowest level of........

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