Why New Yorkers Rank Low On Santa's Nice List This Year

Santa has his eye on New York, and we’re not shining this year. A new survey from Sera Capital looked at holiday behavior across the country, and New Yorkers didn’t quite break into the “nice” category. Our score landed at 43.17, which is below the national niceness average of 50.73. Translation? We’re officially on the naughty list.

Where New York Ranked

Out of 24 states measured, New York came in at number ten on the naughty list. Don’t worry, we weren’t the worst, but we aren’t impressing Santa either. We’re kind of sitting in that spot where we’re not terrible… but we’re also not getting extra cookies from Mrs. Claus anytime soon.

What’s Making New Yorkers “Naughty”?

The biggest things dragging our score down are relatable. First, New Yorkers apparently love to regift. That feels right because we are busy, practical, and if we have something brand new sitting around that we don’t need, why not pass it along?

Our Holiday Giving Could Use a Boost

Another thing that moved us toward “naughty” territory is our holiday charity giving. On average, New Yorkers donate about $41.90 during the holiday season. That’s less than half the national average of $98.77. It doesn’t mean we don’t care, it probably just means life is expensive here and December hits hard.

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So Are We Really That Bad?

If you ask most New Yorkers, we would probably say no. We hold doors and look out for neighbors. But when you break it down into numbers, we definitely have some holiday habits that could use a little polishing.

Still, if Santa wants to judge us for regifting that candle we didn’t like… that’s on him. If you want to see what states are on the naughty and nice list, go here.

The Symbolism of the 12 Days of Christmas Explained

The Twelve Days of Christmas was originally published in England in the late eighteenth century. The best known version is a 1909 arrangement by English composer Frederic Austin. He said he simply put down on paper the song he remembered singing with his family as a child. Many of us have often wondered why the lords are a leaping and why we need to know about eight maids a milking. As with many things, the animals and people in the song are symbolic. In this case, they represent things found in the Bible.

Gallery Credit: Tasha Stevens

What Christmas Tradition Would You Get Rid Of?

We asked our audience, "If you could throw one Christmas Tradition in the dumpster and light it on fire, which one is it going to be?" These are the 6th things/traditions that people wouldn't mind going away.

Gallery Credit: tsm/Timmy!