Wow! Here's How Many Millions of Dollars MA Spends on Easter

Easter is one of the most important holidays for Christians around the world and right here in Massachusetts. For many folks, this means attending church and of course, but for almost all folks, it means spending money.

About 65% to 75% of the folks in Massachusetts identify as Christian or Catholic and even though Gallup Polls indicate that only about half of those people attend Church, plenty more celebrate the Easter holiday, religious or not.

While churches in Massachusetts benefit greatly from the Easter holiday (a major uptick in attendance at Easter Mass means a major uptick in donations) it's also big business for some other industries as well.

Here's WalletHub's breakdown of exactly how much money Americans spent on Easter in 2022. Keep in mind experts are predicting an increase in spending in 2023. In fact, the National Retails Federations estimated that Easter spending this year could be a record-breaking $24 billion.

Easter endures as an important holiday for many Americans, signifying new beginnings and a time of celebration with friends and family. As consumers plan to mark the occasion through a variety of traditions, retailers are dedicated to making this year a memorable holiday.
NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay

$21.6 Billion: Total Easter-related spending expected in 2022 ($180 per person celebrating).
$3 Billion: Projected Easter spending on candy.
$49,000: Price of the world’s most expensive chocolate Easter bunny.
78%: Share of people who eat chocolate bunnies ears first.
60%: Share of parents who plan on sending Easter baskets to their children after they’ve moved out.

LOOK: The most popular biblical baby names

To determine the most popular biblical baby names, Stacker consulted the name origin site Behind the Name and the Social Security Administration's baby names database then ranked the top 50 names from Behind the Name's Biblical Names origins list of 564 names, based on how many babies had been given these names in 2019. Click through to find out which biblical names have stood the test of time.

KEEP READING: Here are the most popular baby names in every state

Using March 2019 data from the Social Security Administration, Stacker compiled a list of the most popular names in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., according to their 2018 SSA rankings. The top five boy names and top five girl names are listed for each state, as well as the number of babies born in 2018 with that name. Historically common names like Michael only made the top five in three states, while the less common name Harper ranks in the top five for 22 states.

Curious what names are trending in your home state? Keep reading to see if your name made the top five -- or to find inspiration for naming your baby.