Steadying the tree, hanging decorations, slipping a turkey in the oven — these are just a few of the Christmas traditions many will revisit this year.
But at a time when nine in 10 Canadians say they will celebrate Christmas, the religious undertones of the holiday are losing their appeal, according to a recent poll.
Some traditions still hold people across the country, according to the Angus Reid Institute Poll: 89% of respondents said they will get together with family to share a meal, 77% said they set up a tree and 57% said they hang stockings.
But go back to 1988 and nearly a third (27%) of Canadians said Christmas was mostly a religious holiday; today, that has dropped to 10%. Moreover, the poll finds that more than half of respondents (53%) say the core of Christmas celebrations revolves around “fun and festivities” instead of faith.
One thing 69% of Canadians do have in common is the urge to return to a more traditional Christmas. In the face of commercialization, this cohort agrees Christmas has lost much of its meaning.
Other notable findings from the poll include:
• Three-quarters of Canadian adults report they are “at least a little excited for the holiday season.” Another quarter said they’re not looking forward to it, with low-income Canadians most likely to feel negatively about the holiday.
• A strong majority of Canadians (82%) say they prefer to call this time of year “Christmas” while one-in-five (18%) say they prefer “holiday season.”
• Half the number of Canadians will attend a religious service this year (26%) compared to when Angus Reid conducted a similar survey in 1995 (53%).
