Families Adhere to Holiday Traditions, Survey Finds : Lifestyles: Presents on the porch, lobster dinner, hunting trip--wacky or not, Americans refuse to change Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's rituals.

Families Adhere to Holiday Traditions, Survey Finds : Lifestyles: Presents on the porch, lobster dinner, hunting trip--wacky or not, Americans refuse to change Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s rituals.

By SANDY SHORE

Dec. 10, 1995 12 AM PT

ASSOCIATED PRESS

DENVER —

Ever thought of taking a Christmas hunting trip? How about a traditional lobster dinner?

And there’s always the Christmas morning ritual of making an edible tree or having Santa Claus leave presents on the front porch.

These are some of the unusual ways that Americans are celebrating the holidays in the ‘90s, according to a survey that found this country still holds its family traditions dear--however quirky they may be.

“Despite the national concern over loss of family values and our high-tech, fractured lifestyles, family traditions are alive and well,” said Nicholas Tortorello, vice president of Roper Starch Worldwide Inc., which conducted the research.

The survey found 41% of Americans place more emphasis on traditions than their parents; 87% believe traditions should be passed on, and 77% believe it is important to create their own holiday customs.

Create them they do. One respondent said his family celebrated with a game of tennis. Another said the custom was a hunting trip. Others rang in the holidays by drinking 100-year-old cognac.

Commissioned by the Boston Market restaurant chain, the survey was based on telephone interviews earlier this year with 1,006 people, whose average age was 43.

The emphasis on traditions in the survey could be an indication of change among baby boomers, said Mitch Handelsman, a University of Colorado-Denver psychology professor.

“It’s conceivable the baby boom generation has finally grown up,” he said, “finally gotten out of their self-indulgent thing, and are having kids and thinking about how to raise them.”

Even with all the improvising, some rituals never seem to go out of style. More than half the survey respondents, for example, prefer turkey and ham during the holidays.

Eighty-one percent of the women plan the meal; 83% of women prepare it, and 68% of women do the dishes. Sixty-five percent of the men carve the meat, and 51% of men say the blessing.

According to the survey, 94% celebrate Thanksgiving, and Christmas or Hanukkah; compared to 87% who celebrate Easter or Passover; 85% Mother’s Day; 76% Father’s Day; 51% Valentine’s Day and 49% Halloween.