The Busiest Reading Day Of The Year Is Coming Up SO Soon

Turkey Day might get all the attention in November, but the night before Thanksgiving deserves its time to shine, too. Not only is Thanksgiving Eve the busiest travel day of the year and one of the most popular nights to drink, but it is now officially the busiest reading day of the year, according to a new survey from Barnes & Noble.

A recent nationwide survey of consumer reading habits during the holiday season revealed something book-lovers have known all along: reading and Thanksgiving go together better than turkey and gravy. According to the findings, Americans rely on books for holiday travel stress relief, travel entertainment and delay distractions, and even family diversions. Bookworms have been saying all along that reading can solve just about any problem, and it seems like these new findings prove just that.

In an online survey of 1,028 individuals 18 years and older, participants were asked questions about their holiday book consumption, their travel habits, and their holiday routines. Over three-fourths of respondents — 77% — revealed they read at least one book, newspaper, or magazine while travelling during Thanksgiving. But why is reading so popular at this time of year?

More people travel the day before Thanksgiving than any other day of the year, and according to participants of the survey, reading makes this usually stressful activity both more relaxing and more enjoyable. Three-fourths of travellers think a book can improve the travel experience, and on a day that is notoriously hectic and infamously frustrating, reading serves as a solace to angry travelers facing unexpected delays and disrupted plans. If you have ever found yourself stuck at the airport with nothing but time to kill, you know that just having a book to read can make the whole experience less painful.

Books certainly can be a great way to relax while travelling, but the survey revealed there is another reason the night before Thanksgiving is such a popular reading night. According to respondents, it's the perfect opportunity to enjoy a good book they otherwise wouldn't have time to read. Life gets busy, and the majority of people wish they had more time to do the things they like, including reading. Being confined to a train, a plane, or a bus during holiday travel gives them built-in time during their hectic day to sit, relax, and do just that.

Reading is so popular the night before Thanksgiving, in fact, that over half of travelers said they brought or bought reading material especially for their trip. Reading can not only be a good pastime if they're delayed while traveling, but it can transport them out of stressful situations, entertain or educate them during boring ones, and relax them during hectic ones. Not everyone looks forward to seeing their family or dealing with holiday stress, but it turns out most people do look forward to having an opportunity to read.

The reading doesn't stop once the holiday travel is over, either. Once Thanksgiving actually begins, over a quarter of readers admitted to using books as an excuse to leave uncomfortable conversations or avoid certain interactions. (Considering how tense 2017 has been, we can only imagine that number might go up this year.) Is there nothing a book can't do?

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so as you start to make your travel plans, pick out your stretchiest fancy pants, and draft your "I'm thankful for..." speech, make sure you don't leave the most important thing off of your to-do list: choose which book, or books, you're going to read over the holiday. It's not like you needed a study to prove it, but now that you know Thanksgiving Eve is the busiest reading day of the year, you can make sure you don't miss out.