December 17, 2012 - Holiday With Family Doesn't Make Them Crazy, New York State Voters Tell Quinnipiac University Poll; Religious Displays On Government Sites Ok, Voters Say Word format Watch Video: Polling Institute Director Mickey Carroll discusses poll results Clip Information and Download: FLV File - For Website (1920x1080 / 34.9 MB) Original .MP4 File - For Broadcast (1920x1080 / 286.4 MB) It's one giant "Christmas Vacation" for New York State voters as 79 percent say they enjoy being with family during the holidays, as 6 percent say being with family makes them crazy, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Another 13 percent volunteered "both." In New York, 87 percent, including 17 percent of Jews, tell the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll that they celebrate Christmas. Of that 87 percent, 64 percent say they attend religious services to mark the holiday. By a 71 - 24 percent margin New York State voters say religious symbols, such as nativity scenes and menorahs, should be allowed on government property. The holiday season is too commercial, 71 percent of voters say, while 26 percent say it's "about right" and 2 percent say it's not commercial enough. Only 12 percent of New York State voters plan to spend more on gifts this holiday season, while 32 percent plan to spend less and 55 percent plan to spend the same as last year. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and most New Yorkers think that look is too commercial," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Overwhelmingly, we like being with our family, but there are a few Grinches who say those family holidays drive them crazy." From December 5 - 10, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,302 New York State voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia and the nation as a public service and for research. For more information or RSS feed, visit http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, or call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter. 31. Thinking about this holiday season, do you plan to spend more on gifts this year than last year, less on gifts or about the same as last year? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk More 12% 9% 13% 11% 13% 10% 12% 11% Less 32 32 34 30 27 36 29 48 About the same 55 58 51 58 59 52 59 37 DK/NA 1 - 2 1 1 1 - 5 WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS No Prot Cath Jew Prot Cath Weekly Less Religion More 10% 13% 7% 8% 15% 9% 12% 12% Less 35 33 24 30 33 38 30 23 About the same 54 53 67 62 53 52 56 64 DK/NA 1 1 1 - - 1 1 1 MARRIED.......... SINGLE........... HAVE CHILDREN.... Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom More 9% 10% 9% 14% 17% 12% 11% 13% 9% Less 32 30 35 31 24 37 37 32 42 About the same 57 59 56 53 59 49 51 54 48 DK/NA 1 1 - 2 1 3 1 2 1 AGE IN YRS.............. UpStat NYC Sub 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ More 13% 10% 11% 23% 11% 10% 6% Less 28 37 30 23 33 36 30 About the same 58 50 59 52 55 54 62 DK/NA 1 3 - 2 1 - 2 32a. (If more q31) Would you say a lot more, somewhat more, or only a little more? SPENDING MORE Q31 Tot Lot more 26% Smwht more 44 Little more 30 DK/NA - 32b. (If less q31) Would you say a lot less, somewhat less, or only a little less? SPENDING LESS Q31 Tot Men Wom Lot less 46% 35% 52% Smwht less 31 37 28 Little less 22 26 20 DK/NA 1 2 - 33. Do you plan to visit New York City holiday attractions this year? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk Yes 34% 28% 40% 33% 37% 32% 29% 41% No 61 65 55 64 59 63 68 49 ALREADY HAVE(VOL) 2 5 2 2 3 2 2 2 DK/NA 2 2 3 1 2 2 1 7 WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS No Prot Cath Jew Prot Cath Weekly Less Religion Yes 29% 34% 37% 18% 31% 30% 35% 37% No 65 61 59 80 64 64 61 61 ALREADY HAVE(VOL) 2 4 2 2 4 3 2 - DK/NA 4 1 2 - 1 3 2 2 MARRIED.......... SINGLE........... HAVE CHILDREN.... Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Yes 35% 36% 34% 33% 37% 31% 41% 46% 37% No 61 59 63 61 58 63 54 49 59 ALREADY HAVE(VOL) 2 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 DK/NA 2 2 1 3 3 3 2 2 1 AGE IN YRS.............. UpStat NYC Sub 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ Yes 14% 46% 50% 45% 42% 32% 21% No 83 49 44 48 54 65 72 ALREADY HAVE(VOL) 2 3 4 4 3 1 3 DK/NA 1 3 3 3 1 2 4 34. Do you think the holiday season is too commercial, not commercial enough, or about right? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk Too commercial 71% 69% 70% 75% 67% 74% 74% 62% Not commercial enough 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 5 About right 26 28 26 23 30 22 23 31 DK/NA 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS No Prot Cath Jew Prot Cath Weekly Less Religion Too commercial 68% 71% 64% 75% 74% 74% 70% 76% Not commercial enough 1 3 - - 2 2 2 - About right 27 25 30 23 23 20 27 23 DK/NA 3 1 5 2 1 4 1 1 MARRIED.......... SINGLE........... HAVE CHILDREN.... Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Too commercial 74% 71% 77% 67% 61% 72% 71% 66% 75% Not commercial enough 1 1 - 2 3 2 1 2 - About right 23 26 20 29 35 24 25 31 20 DK/NA 2 1 3 2 1 2 3 1 5 AGE IN YRS.............. UpStat NYC Sub 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ Too commercial 77% 61% 77% 57% 71% 76% 70% Not commercial enough 1 2 2 1 2 1 3 About right 21 34 22 40 26 21 24 DK/NA 2 3 - 2 2 1 3 35. Should religious holiday symbols such as nativity scenes or menorahs be allowed on government property, or not? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk Yes 71% 92% 60% 74% 71% 71% 74% 64% No 24 6 33 22 27 21 22 28 DK/NA 5 2 7 4 3 7 5 8 WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS No Prot Cath Jew Prot Cath Weekly Less Religion Yes 78% 82% 54% 84% 85% 84% 68% 51% No 15 15 41 11 12 11 27 44 DK/NA 7 3 5 5 3 5 5 5 MARRIED.......... SINGLE........... HAVE CHILDREN.... Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Yes 74% 77% 72% 68% 63% 71% 74% 74% 73% No 22 21 22 26 34 21 22 24 21 DK/NA 4 2 6 6 3 8 4 2 6 AGE IN YRS.............. UpStat NYC Sub 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ Yes 76% 63% 75% 57% 69% 78% 71% No 18 32 21 37 28 18 21 DK/NA 6 5 4 6 3 4 8 36. Do you celebrate Christmas? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk Yes 87% 88% 85% 92% 84% 90% 86% 91% No 12 12 14 8 15 10 14 9 DK/NA - - - - - - - - WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS No Prot Cath Jew Prot Cath Weekly Less Religion Yes 96% 99% 17% 98% 99% 89% 87% 86% No 3 1 83 2 1 11 13 13 DK/NA - - - - - - - 1 MARRIED.......... SINGLE........... HAVE CHILDREN.... Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Yes 87% 86% 88% 88% 82% 92% 86% 84% 88% No 13 13 12 12 18 7 14 16 12 DK/NA - - - - 1 - - - - AGE IN YRS.............. UpStat NYC Sub 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ Yes 96% 80% 85% 84% 87% 89% 89% No 4 20 15 16 13 11 11 DK/NA - - - - - - - 37. (If yes q36) Do you attend religious services as a part of your Christmas celebration or don't you? CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS Q36.................................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk Yes 64% 71% 62% 60% 57% 69% 64% 71% No 35 28 36 39 41 30 35 24 DK/NA 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 5 WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS No Prot Cath Prot Cath Weekly Less Religion Yes 77% 76% 71% 80% 93% 55% 15% No 21 24 28 20 7 43 83 DK/NA 2 - 1 - - 1 2 MARRIED.......... SINGLE........... HAVE CHILDREN.... Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Yes 65% 60% 70% 62% 54% 67% 69% 68% 71% No 34 40 29 36 43 31 30 32 28 DK/NA - - 1 2 2 2 1 - 2 AGE IN YRS.............. UpStat NYC Sub 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ Yes 66% 58% 69% 53% 56% 69% 72% No 33 40 31 44 44 31 27 DK/NA 1 2 - 3 - 1 1 38. Do you enjoy being with family during the holidays or does being with family make you crazy? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk Enjoy family 79% 81% 78% 78% 81% 77% 79% 80% Make crazy 6 7 7 7 7 6 6 7 BOTH (VOL) 13 10 13 14 11 14 13 9 DK/NA 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 3 WHITE...... ATTEND SRVCS No Prot Cath Jew Prot Cath Weekly Less Religion Enjoy family 83% 81% 77% 81% 81% 85% 77% 71% Make crazy 3 4 8 5 4 4 7 13 BOTH (VOL) 12 12 11 12 12 10 14 16 DK/NA 2 3 4 2 2 2 2 1 MARRIED.......... SINGLE........... HAVE CHILDREN.... Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Tot Men Wom Enjoy family 81% 84% 78% 77% 77% 77% 78% 79% 77% Make crazy 4 4 4 9 10 8 6 5 7 BOTH (VOL) 14 11 17 11 10 12 15 15 15 DK/NA 1 1 1 3 3 3 1 - 1 AGE IN YRS.............. UpStat NYC Sub 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ Enjoy family 80% 79% 77% 79% 71% 79% 87% Make crazy 5 8 7 9 10 6 2 BOTH (VOL) 13 11 14 11 18 12 8 DK/NA 2 2 2 - 1 3 3 Demographic Summary
