American Culture

“…more than 2 in 5 Americans (44%) say previous New Year’s resolutions have focused on their health. More than 1 in 4 say they’ve made resolutions on their relationship with God (29%), their finances (29%) or their relationship with a family member (26%).” - Lifeway

“Overall, about half of U.S. adults (48%) say that most things in society can be clearly divided into good and evil, while the other half (50%) say that most things in society are too complicated to be categorized this way.” - Pew

“…though a declining share of Americans say they want to live in cities, fewer people moved out of them last year than in the period before the COVID-19 pandemic began.” - Pew

“Santa Claus had undergone many makeovers in the Western imagination by the time readers were introduced to ‘Twas the Night before Christmas.’ Some scholars argue that the idea of a magical being bringing gifts and good cheer can be traced all the way back to the Greek goddess Artemis.” - The Conversation

“About two-thirds of U.S. adults (65%) say that ‘people being too easily offended’ is a major problem in the country today, while a slimmer majority – 53% – say that ‘people saying offensive things to others’ is a major problem” - Pew

“…the Pew study shows that the religious problem of suffering is not a major concern for most people today after all. Only 14% of American adults say that “sometimes I think the suffering in the world is an indication that there is no God.’” - Veith

“Catholics (99 percent) and Protestants (97 percent) are most likely to commemorate the day of Jesus’ birth. Still, significant majorities of Americans of other religions (74 percent) and those with no religious affiliation (82 percent) also celebrate Christmas.” - Lifeway

“The vast majority of U.S. adults ascribe suffering at least partly to random chance, a new Pew Research survey found.” - RNS

“Americans – especially Republicans – have become more likely to mention freedom and independence as a source of meaning in life.” - Pew

“Birth rates in the United States dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic amid the twin public health and economic crises, lending evidence to predictions from early on in the outbreak that economic uncertainty might trigger a baby bust.” - Pew