At least it is according to words referencing happy and unhappy states in our Facebook status updates:
It’s probably just an artifact of people using the word “grateful” because they’re supposed to. Then again, maybe being reminded to be grateful really does make people happy for a day.
Source: Facebook via Flowing Data.
—————————
Lisa Wade is a professor of sociology at Occidental College. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Comments 19
Marge — November 26, 2009
Interesting that it shows Facebook is still highly US focussed. I'm on Facebook; only two people out of my network celebrate Thanksgiving (and most of the rest wouldn't be able to tell you when it was beyond 'November? I think?'). The spike is much lower for Christmas, even though that has greater international appeal (there are about two thousand million Christians versus about three hundred million Americans, taking Wiki figures).
Jessamyn — November 26, 2009
What is with those oscillations?
Lilly — November 26, 2009
Don't forget everyone writing "'Happy' Thanksgiving" in their status.
Actually, I'm surprised it comes out ahead of "'Merry' Christmas" and "'Happy' Holidays". Maybe that is because people actually have things to do on those holidays because they are not super lame like Thanksgiving is, so people are not busy using Facebook.
New Years is conspicuously missing from that chart.
cmb — November 26, 2009
I can't believe Heath Ledger dying was the saddest day of the year! I mean, it was sad, yeah, but really?
Juliem — November 30, 2009
When my nephew and I both, in separate posts, commented on FB that we were particularly unhappy this last Thanksgiving (he because two of his grandparents died this year, and I because of the recent passing of my father, we were both taken to task by "friends." (Oddly enough, all of the "how dare you not be grateful for what you have" statements included references to currently serving military personnel.)
My point is that it is often socially unacceptable, maybe now more than at other times, to express "inappropiate" unhappiness during the holidays.
Lynn — September 16, 2010
Yes, I've heard that high school-aged couples breaking up are sometimes given anti-depressants now to combat their sadness! How can you ever be happy to be with someone, and not be sad when you know you won't be seeing them anymore? And friends that don't accept your sadness or express sympathy for you? Some friends, huh? I imagine the people who were lucky enough to see Heath Ledger's work, were touched by him, and I think it was certinly a positive thing that they felt sad at his untimely death. Of course you feel pain at the death of huge numbers of innocent people, but it is different from feeling a personal connection to another human being, even though it may be only through his art. We "feel" within who we are and what we know. I'm sure it's important to experience other realities, too, though.
Thanksgiving happiness, green tea vodka and the evolution of the mobile phone - Frugal City Girl — November 26, 2012
[...] most Americans, you had the happiest day of the year last Thursday. I find this really interesting – what exactly is it about the holiday that [...]