According to a new survey from Hershey, conducted with OnePoll, a majority of people agree that it is important to celebrate traditions around the holiday season. In response, Hershey has created a special candy pairing guide designed to match one of its holiday offerings with the most popular traditions unveiled in their recent survey. The guide features seasonal favorites like Hershey's Kisses wrapped in festive foils and Reese's Trees, as well as new products like Hershey's Holiday Bars.

"Hershey knows that magical feeling of being surrounded by loved ones and cherishing every moment this special season brings," said Katie Behrman, associate brand manager, seasons, at The Hershey Company. "We want to help transform those sweet moments into lifelong memories by adding an extra element of delight with our seasonal products like Hershey's Kisses in festive foils, new Hershey's  Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate Bombs, and Rolo Creamy Caramels Wrapped in Rich Chocolate."

Favorite traditions by state:

  • Decorating the Christmas tree – Utah (82%), New York (79%), Vermont (79%), Tennessee (78%), Washington (77%), North Dakota (76%), Louisiana (75%), Pennsylvania (75%), Montana (74%), Oklahoma (74%), Rhode Island (74%), Arizona (72%), Massachusetts (68%), Delaware (67%), Illinois (64%)
  • Exchanging gifts – Idaho (79%), Connecticut (76%), Michigan (75%), Georgia (74%), South Dakota (74%), Iowa (73%), Maryland (73%), New Jersey (73%), South Carolina (73%), Wyoming (73%), Kansas (72%), Missouri (72%), Ohio (72%), Wisconsin (72%), Oregon (71%), Hawaii (70%), Minnesota (70%), Colorado (68%), Virginia (67%), Alaska (66%), Nevada (62%)
  • Watching a favorite holiday movie – New Mexico (81%), Florida (73%), Indiana (73%), Mississippi (72%), New Hampshire (71%), California (70%), North Carolina (65%), Texas (63%), Nebraska (61%)
  • Going to look at holiday lights/decorations - Kentucky (80%), Alabama (77%), West Virginia (69%), Arkansas (68%), Maine (67%)

To learn more about what is new and returning from Hershey this season and to find recipe inspiration, visit hersheyland.com.

*This random double-opt-in survey of 5,000 general population Americans was commissioned by Hershey between November 17 and November 28, 2022. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).