SC ranks 5th in the nation for most Christmas spirit, new study finds

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A new study shows that South Carolina was ranked #5 in the U.S. for most Christmas spirit this year.

CenturyLink, an internet service provider, released a new study called States Whose Christmas Spirit Survived 2020.

The data team says they analyzed the data in two categories - online activity and area culture.

Online activity analyzed includes the following criteria:

• Google searches for Christmas movies and gingerbread houses
• Online shopping for wrapping paper, Christmas cards, Christmas ornaments, and “Elf on the Shelf”
• Christmas music streams
• Tweets about Christmas

Area culture was analyzed by the following criteria:

• Number of Christmas tree farms per capita
• Charitable giving in the last documented tax year, as defined by the IRS

They say although we’ve been through quite a year, some states are still decking the halls, roasting chestnuts on an open fire, and writing letters to Old Saint Nick.

CenturyLink’s Top 10 States Whose Christmas Spirit Survived 2020 are listed below:

1. Utah
2. Idaho
3. Wisconsin
4. North Carolina
5. South Carolina
6. Tennessee
7. Nebraska
8. North Dakota
9. West Virginia
10. Arkansas

The states with the least Christmas spirit this year are listed below:

42. Texas

43. Arizona

44. California

45. Delaware

46. Nevada

47. Colorado

48. New Mexico

49. Hawaii

50. Florida

51. District of Columbia (not a state but still pretty low on Christmas spirit)

“At the end of it all, it’s still the most wonderful time of the year,” officials associated with the study say. “And not just because 2020 is finally ending.”