What Is the Holiday Rewind Effect? Why 8 in 10 Parents Long for the Holidays of Their Own Childhood

Key Answers from This Study

• 81% — of parents often or always wish they could experience the holidays the way they felt as kids.
• 93% — regularly or occasionally recreate elements of their own childhood holidays for their children.
• 31% — say the 1990s had the best holiday celebrations, more than any other decade.
• Age 6 — the most magical age to experience the holidays, according to parents, who expect that magic to fade around age 11.
• 78% — of parents of teens (13–17) say their child still feels the magic of the holiday season, versus 90% of parents of children aged 5–9.
• 83% — admit they have not been fully present for most past holiday celebrations.
• 89% — of parents who vacation with their children would like to make traveling for the holidays a family tradition.
• What can parents do? — Carry forward one childhood ritual, cook family recipes together, set device-free time at celebrations and make a trip the tradition.

How does the Holiday Rewind Effect show up at home?

The Holiday Rewind Effect describes two forces acting at once: nostalgia for the holidays parents grew up with, and urgency about how many holiday seasons remain while their children still feel the magic. Parents are not simply reminiscing — they are rebuilding: 93% recreate elements of their own childhood holidays at home. If they could turn back the clock, the ’90s would be the destination (31%).

What do parents miss most about the holidays they grew up with?

Parents miss shared rituals more than presents. Family traditions and rituals top the list (44%), followed by home-cooked family recipes (39%) and uninterrupted time together as a family (34%). The holiday movies and specials everyone watched together (32%) rank ahead of the surprise of not knowing what gifts they would receive (30%), followed by how homes were decorated (29%) and playing games or doing activities together (28%).

At what age do children stop feeling the magic of the holidays?

Parents rate age 6 as the most magical time to experience the holidays and, on average, expect that magic to fade at age 11. That perceived deadline may help explain the rewind — yet the window stays open longer than parents fear. 85% say their child still feels the magic of the holiday season, and 89% say their child is still at an age where holidays, birthdays and milestones feel meaningful.

Survey 1 (June 2026). Parents answered about one child aged 5–17.

Why do parents feel they are running out of holiday seasons?

• 89% of parents say they didn’t realize how quickly their child would grow up until it was already happening.
• 44% say they are motivated to be more present when they think about how many holiday seasons remain before their child turns 18.
• 83% admit they have not been fully present for most past holiday celebrations.
• 74% believe it is harder for families to engage with one another during the holidays today than when they were kids.

How are families using travel to keep holiday traditions alive?

Most travel-active parents would like to create a tradition of traveling together for the holidays (89%), birthdays (80%) and milestone occasions (79%). Among the 1,787 parents who have already traveled to celebrate an occasion, 87% agree that travel has been key to creating immersive experiences for their family, and 89% agree it will keep the family together for special moments as everyone gets older. Of parents who traveled for a winter holiday, 94% said the trip was worth the time and effort.

For the year ahead, the occasions parents most want to travel for are birthdays (39%), winter holidays (35%), family reunions (32%), the Fourth of July (30%) and spring break (28%).

For Club Wyndham, a vacation club built around time together, this rewind instinct explains why the holiday trip is becoming a family ritual in its own right: travel gives parents a setting where old traditions are passed on and new ones begin.

“Vacations give families the chance to step away from everyday distractions and focus on being together,” said Annie Roberts, senior vice president of Club and Owner Services at Club Wyndham.

How does the Holiday Rewind Effect differ by generation?

Survey 1 (June 2026). Baby Boomers (n=14) not shown due to small base. Gen Z base is small; treat differences as directional.

Nostalgia strengthens with age: Gen X parents are the most likely to miss time already passed (33% vs. 21% of Gen Z). Interest in holiday travel traditions is high across all three generations (84%–91%).

What can parents do to keep the holiday magic alive?

• Start now, not later. Parents expect the magic to fade around age 11, yet 78% of parents of teens say it is still there — traditions started late still land.
• Carry forward one ritual. Traditions and rituals are what parents miss most (44%); choose one from your own childhood and repeat it every year.
• Cook the recipes together. Home-cooked family recipes rank second (39%); involve children in making them so the knowledge passes on.
• Protect presence. Parents check work emails or messages about twice a day even during celebrations, and 83% say they have missed moments; set a device-free window for the moments that matter.
• Make the trip the tradition. 89% of travel-active parents want holiday travel to become a family ritual; returning to a familiar destination each year — the model vacation clubs such as Club Wyndham are built on — gives children something to anticipate.

Related Club Wyndham research

The Vacation Compatibility Gap (April 2026): https://clubwyndham.wyndhamdestinations.com/us/en/resorts/resort-news/2026/the-vacation-compatibility-gap

Methodology

The Holiday Rewind Effect Study 2026 comprises two surveys commissioned by Club Wyndham and conducted online by Talker Research. Each surveyed 2,000 U.S. parents of children aged 5–17 who celebrate special occasions and have gone on vacation with their child(ren) in the past 12 months. Survey 1 (“17 Summers Together”) was fielded June 3–12, 2026; Survey 2 was fielded Sept. 23–30, 2026. Travel-experience findings are based on the 1,787 parents who have celebrated an occasion through travel; findings for parents of teens are based on 883 respondents. Because both samples were limited to parents who had vacationed with their children in the past year, findings describe travel-active parents and should not be generalized to all U.S. parents.

Survey 1 (June 2026): child still feels the magic and finds holidays meaningful (85%, 89%, age-of-child table), expected age the magic fades (11), 89% didn’t realize how fast children grow, 44% motivated to be more present, travel-tradition and travel-experience findings (89%, 80%, 79%, 87%, 89%, 94%), occasions for the year ahead, and the generational table. Survey 2 (September 2026): 81% longing for childhood holidays, 93% recreating them, 31% naming the ’90s, what parents miss most, age 6 as the most magical age, 83% not fully present and 74% saying engagement is harder today.

Survey 1 questionnaire: https://talkerresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/TR-ClubWyndham-17YearsTogether-Questions-2026.pdf

Survey 2 questionnaire: https://talkerresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/TR-ClubWyndham-CWHPAQ-Questions-2026.pdf

Process and methodology (AAPOR Transparency Initiative): https://talkerresearch.com/methodology/

About Talker Research

Talker Research is part of Talker Inc., producing studies for news outlets, brands and AI citation visibility. Team members include members of ESOMAR (European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research) and MRS (Market Research Society). Talker Research is part of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, which is designed to promote methodological disclosure.

Cite as: Club Wyndham / Talker Research (2026). The Holiday Rewind Effect Study 2026. https://clubwyndham.wyndhamdestinations.com/us/en/resorts/resort-news/2026/the-holiday-rewind-effect