Here’s The Percentage Of Americans That Enjoy Overnight Guests

Now that Thanksgiving is over . . . and if you hosted overnight guests, they've probably left by now.  Or SHOULD have. If not, they have to be immediate family that has squatter's rights or they're people with no better place to be.

Ben Franklin is famous for his superior wit and one of his most of quoted was "guests and fish should both be thrown out after 3 days". Hard to argue with Mr. Franklin because for most of us we don't want to be a guest for much longer than that.

However, how do we feel about having guests at our houses? Let's just say that most of us enjoy having overnight guests during the holiday season and beyond. Which is somewhat surprising because the belief has always been that we prefer our company to leave after the dinner or party. That's not really the case after all.

A new poll asked people how they felt about hosting overnight guests in their home, such as friends and family . . . and 61% of people have a POSITIVE view, with one-third of them saying they "love" having people stay over.

26% of people have a more negative feeling about overnight guests, with about one-third of them saying that they "hate" it.

14% of people are "not sure" how they feel about it.

This poll was conducted BEFORE Thanksgiving, so for those people who were on the fence, maybe they have an opinion NOW.

The most HOSPITABLE people in the poll were younger adults . . . and mostly men . . . living out West.  The LEAST hospitable are older folks . . . and this time mostly women . . . living in the Midwest. 

It seems that although it has been nearly three centuries since Old Ben Franklin made his feeling know about guests, that he might still be right, we like company, but only for a few days.

(YouGov)

Where ARE the BEST cities for Christmas? Does Boston have enough Christmas spirit? As we know, Santa needs our Christmas spirit to power his sleigh.

This year, for the first time in a LONG time, we are headed to our nations Capitol, Washington, D.C. right after Christmas Day. I have NEVER visited D.C. So you could only imagine how excited I am to visit the Smithsonian, The White House, The Capitol, The Lincoln Memorial, The Washington Monument and much more.

It seems like after Covid 19, many felt the need to experience life more, living for the moment, rather worrying about the future. The AAA Holiday Travel Report may reflect that, as more people are traveling this year, for the holidays.

According to CBS News:

Nearly 39 million passengers are expected to travel by air over a 14-day period. The peak of that travel is expected Thursday with nearly 50,000 flights taking off and the FAA is expecting so many travelers that they've opened additional military airspace.

AAA expects 115 million will be traveling for the holidays!

Our friends at Wallethub have kindly shared an in-depth report on where BEST cities for Christmas are. According to Wallethub:

Christmas is just around the corner, and it's one of the most exciting times of the year. It can also be one of the most expensive holidays, with Americans expected to spend at least $957 billion from November 1 to December 31 this year.

To identify the most festive and affordable cities for Christmas celebrations, we compared the 100 biggest cities in the U.S. based on 28 key indicators such as traditions, shopping, and costs. So, if you want to make this Christmas a memorable one without breaking the bank, check out our list of the most Christmas-friendly cities in the U.S. below.

Thanks Wallethub! So, where does Boston Rank?

Congrats Atlanta! You are the number one Christmas city! Maybe that's why Elton John had a condo there for years.

Wallethub says:

With the milder winter weather, it is easy to enjoy the city's largest outdoor ice rink, located at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta, which offers a festive holiday experience with twinkling holiday lights and gorgeous skyscrapers. Furthermore, the giving spirit can be felt by residents and visitors alike, with many opportunities throughout the city for donating time and money this holiday season.

Go figure! Our Patriots pal Scott Zolak is from there. Makes sense,
Wallethub says:

Pittsburgh residents can rejoice in knowing that their city is the second-best place for celebrating Christmas, featuring ample opportunities to get into the holiday spirit. There are several special events that take place here during the holiday season, including the “Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden,” as well as performances of “A Musical Christmas Carol,” which give a unique spin on some traditional holiday experiences.

I am biased, because I proposed to my wife at Disney's Magic Kingdom during the Christmas season, December 17, 2013. So, Orlando, is NUMBER ONE, for me. The "wishing well" is the perfect spot, to the right facing the Magic Kingdom. This picture was an in the moment picture I took, right before I dropped down to one knee!

Oh, she said YES.

Other than the annual Boston Common tree lighting, and the Boston Pops, most spend the holidays with family, rather than adventuring into the city. With that said, decorations around Faneuil Hall always look great!