How Santa Claus’ habits have changed

The advent of the holidays, the twinkling lights and Christmas melodies are intertwined with a new awareness. A recent survey by PayPalwhich involved 1025 Italian adultshas shed light on a significant evolution of Christmas traditions, marked by a growing attention towards budgetthe sustainability and the charity.

Inflation does not stop the joy of giving

Although 69% of Italians feel the weight of inflation on their shoulders, the warmth of Christmas traditions does not lose intensity. The research highlights a change in purchasing habits of gifts: a third of those interviewed simply buy gifts only for some family members, while 27% introduced a maximum limit of spending and 10% even chose to do not exchange gifts. We hope not to have – among friends and relatives – representatives of this third category.

GenZ: the guardians of the future

There Gen Z emerges as the champion of a Conscious Christmas. These young adults have planned carefully, taking advantage of opportunities like the Black Friday and the Cyber ​​Monday, and have moved towards gifts that reflect principles of sustainability and ethics. Surprisingly, almost a fifth prefer it self-gift, a practice that reflects the desire for more personal and thoughtful consumption. For the record, the investigation was conducted onlinein the YouGov Italia panel, from 19 to 23 October 2023, therefore one month before the November cascade of discounts.

New traditions between creativity and ethics

The auspicious aspect is an Italy witness to a Christmas rebirth where DIY decorations and ethical gifts take over. 33% of respondents have reduced the number of gifts, privileging ethical issues and the desire to avoid excessive consumption. In fact, the preference went to quality despite abundance. This change of pace is particularly evident among younger people, with 21% reducing gifts for ethical reasonswhile keeping alive the taste for classic Christmas films and traditions like the Secret Santa. This is a fairly recent Christmas tradition in offices, among groups of friends and in families, in which participants are secretly assigned to another person in the group to give a gift. The identity of the donor is a secret until the gifts are exchanged.

PayPal’s response: flexibility and solidarity

Maria Teresa Minotti, Senior Director of PayPal Italia, observes that the enthusiasm for Christmas has not waned but has evolved, incorporating themes of social and environmental importance. The success of initiatives such as Give At Checkout demonstrates the importance of small donations. And with services like Buy Now Pay Later, PayPal adapts to the demand for flexibility, not only at Christmas but all year round. As the lights of the Christmas tree come on, Italian traditions shine with a new light, underlining that the true spirit of Christmas lies not in quantity, but in the profound meaning that each gift contains.