On the KRC Insights blog, we try to shed light on some weighty and important topics – from ethics in market research, to views on Corporate America, to a logo’s impact on a company’s identity.  But at this time, of year we know your attention is focused on one key question: How am I going to make it through the holidays this year?

Luckily, our KRC Pulse Poll is ripe with insight into this question.  As we do with clients looking to navigate a diverse array of audiences and challenges through the power of data, below we dig through the data to answer some of your burning questions for the holidays.

Should I bring dessert to our family holiday party?  That could be a good move.  More people say they have a sweet tooth (60%) than a savory tooth (40%), and this is especially true for moms (75% sweet, 25% savory). You don’t want to disappoint mom, do you?

I’m tired of sitting at the kids’ table. How can I prove I’m a real adult?   If you are returning home and you bought your own plane ticket, you are on your way.   Mom and dad agree the top two signs of reaching adulthood are financial independence (65% of moms consider it a main marker of adulthood, 57% of dads) and moving out of your parents’ house (49% of moms, 51% of dads).   If you still haven’t made it to the adult table, talk to mom about buying a house (that’s her third ranked sign of adulthood at 45%) and to your dad about getting married (that’s his third ranked sign of adulthood at 44%).

I love my aunt more than her green bean casserole. What do I do? First, just think “quick like pulling off a Band-Aid” and eat it instantly to get it out of the way.  If she asks how it tasted, don’t worry about feigning approval.  Over 4-in-5 (81%) of adults admit to telling a white lie, so you aren’t alone.    

Wait, why are my brother and his family leaving before dessert?  That’s actually not too uncommon.  Just over 2-in-5 parents with kids at home will attend more than one Thanksgiving dinner compared to 1-in-5 nonparents.  So it’s not your pumpkin pie that’s making him leave—it’s his in-laws.

Now that Thanksgiving dinner is done, it’s time to put up the tree. Should we go real or fake? That depends. If you are in the South, Midwest, or West you can get away with a fake tree as a majority of Christmas tree buyers in these regions (77%, 70%, and 56% respectively) prefer fake over real trees. In the Northeast, however, a majority (54%) favor a real over fake tree. Just make sure you have a good vacuum for the dead needles.

Who can I get to wait hours in line with me for Black Friday?  That will be a hard sell. When given a choice between Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, or none of the above—a majority of Americans (52%) pick none of the above.   However, if you really need a buddy, try to grab a young adult relative or a dad.  Only 21% of Americans prefer Black Friday over those other options—but that’s much higher among 18-24 year olds (35% prefer Black Friday) and dads (34% prefer Black Friday).

We hope these data nuggets help you get the most out of your time with family over the holidays.