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Eight in 10 parents are longing for holidays’ past (81%), according to new research.
Two surveys, each of 2,000 parents of children ages 5 to 17, explored the nostalgia parents feel for their own childhood celebrations — and how they’re trying to preserve that same sense of magic for their children today.
Those polled often or always wish they could go back and experience the way the holidays felt when they were kids.
If they could turn back the clock, the ’90s may be the place to go: Nearly a third of parents (31%) say the decade had the best holiday celebrations, more than any other decade.
Commissioned by Club Wyndham, a vacation club that encourages connection and together time, and conducted by Talker Research, one of the surveys found that 93% of parents regularly or occasionally recreate elements of the holidays they experienced as children for their own families.
“There’s something about the holidays that brings you right back to being a kid — the traditions, the movies, the food and all those little rituals you looked forward to every year,” said Annie Roberts, senior vice president of Club and Owner Services at Club Wyndham.
“What’s especially meaningful is seeing parents bring those traditions into their own homes while creating new ones with their kids. That mix of celebrating nostalgia and making new shared memories is really what the holidays are all about.”
Family traditions and rituals are what parents miss most about the holidays growing up (44%), followed by home-cooked family recipes (39%) and uninterrupted time together as a family (34%).
Parents are also nostalgic for the holiday movies and specials everyone watched together (32%), the surprise of not knowing what gifts they’d receive (30%), how homes were decorated (29%) and playing games or doing activities together (28%).
That desire to hold onto holiday magic may feel particularly meaningful as parents watch their own children grow up.
Parents believe age 6 is the most magical time to experience the holidays as a child, with that sense of magic beginning to taper around age 11.
Despite that, 89% are hopeful that their child is at an age where they still find meaning in celebrating big moments together.
Similarly, 85% of parents believe the holiday spirit is alive and well in their child, especially during the holiday season — including three-quarters of parents of teens (78%).
More than four in 10 (44%) said they’re trying to be more present as they think about how many holiday seasons they have left while their children are still young.
Thinking about past celebrations, 83% admit they haven’t been fully present for most of those moments.
And nearly three-quarters (74%) believe it’s harder for families to be engaged with one another during the holidays today compared to when they were kids.
Parents are also looking to travel as a way to mark meaningful moments together, with holidays (89%), birthdays (80%), and life milestones (79%) marking the occasions they want to celebrate through a trip.
Among those who have traveled for these big moments, 87% said time away together has been key to creating memories, while 89% plan to continue doing so as everyone gets older.
This year, respondents are looking for more opportunities to get away together, including birthdays (39%), winter holidays (35%), family reunions (32%), the Fourth of July (30%) and spring break (28%).
“Vacations give families the chance to step away from everyday distractions and focus on being together,” Roberts said. “We see that same idea come to life in our holiday experiences, where familiar traditions and nostalgic touches can spark memories for parents while giving families a chance to create entirely new ones together.”
Research methodology:
Talker Research ran two surveys, each with a sample of 2,000 parents of school-aged children who celebrate occasions and have gone on vacation together in the past year who have access to the internet; the surveys were commissioned by Club Wyndham. The first was administered and conducted online by Talker Research conducted between June 3 and June 12, 2026, and the second between Sept. 23 and Sept. 30, 2026.
