WASHINGTON, D.C. — Christmas remains a widely observed holiday in the U.S., with 88% of Americans saying they celebrate it, essentially unchanged from 90% last year and only modestly below the 96% recorded in 2005.
Most who celebrate Christmas take part in secular traditions, such as exchanging gifts, gathering with family and friends, and decorating their homes. At the same time, fewer than in the past report incorporating religious customs, such as attending church or displaying religious holiday symbols.
Holiday Has Broad Appeal Across Demographics
About nine in 10 older Americans celebrate Christmas, including 90% of those 35 to 54, and 89% of those 55 and older, while 85% of young adults aged 18 to 34 also celebrate it.
Consistent with prior years, a slightly higher percentage of White adults (92%) than people of color (82%) say they celebrate Christmas, but roughly equal percentages of men, women, college graduates and nongraduates observe it, as well as married and unmarried adults.
The rate is, naturally, high among Christians (96%), but even a large majority of non-Christians (a group that primarily includes Americans with no religious identity but also the small proportion of those practicing other faiths) take part (77%).
Social Aspects of Christmas Remain Strong, Church Fades
The latest poll, conducted Dec. 1-15, also asked respondents who celebrate Christmas whether they or their family engage in 10 activities strongly associated with the holiday.
Exchanging gifts (96%) and getting together with family or friends (95%) remain nearly universal Christmas traditions, largely unchanged from Gallup’s previous measurement, in 2010. Similarly, about nine in 10 celebrants continue to say they will put up a Christmas tree (90%) or decorate their homes in other ways (89%).
What has changed is that fewer people are observing the holiday religiously. Attendance at a religious service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day is now 47%, 17 percentage points lower than in 2010. Displaying Nativity scenes or other religiously themed decorations is down a similar 14 points, to 54%.
Only one secular activity has seen a notable drop: attending a holiday concert or play, now reported by 43%, compared with 58% in 2010.
Of three Christmas activities measured for the first time this year, two are highly popular: watching holiday-themed movies (86%) or making holiday cookies or desserts (81%). In contrast, about half, 52%, say they send holiday cards.
Reduced Majority of Christians Maintain Sacred Traditions
In 2010, 83% of adults who celebrated Christmas identified as Catholic, Protestant or another Christian denomination. Today, that share has declined to 69%, reflecting the drop in the percentage of U.S. adults with a religious affiliation.
This shift contributes to the overall declines in religious observances at Christmas, but changes are also evident among Christians themselves.
- Sixty-one percent of Christian celebrants now say they attend church on Christmas Eve or Day, down from 73% in 2010.
- Christians are also less likely now (69%) than in the past (76%) to display religiously themed decorations, though a solid majority still do so.
Christians and non-Christians (including those with no religious affiliation) who celebrate Christmas participate at similar rates in most secular traditions, including gathering with loved ones, exchanging gifts, decorating, watching holiday movies, baking and sending cards. Christians, however, are significantly more likely to attend holiday concerts or plays, possibly reflecting their older average age (52) compared with non-Christian celebrants (39).
Young Adults Upholding Most Christmas Traditions
All age groups of Americans who celebrate Christmas are about equally likely to engage in the holiday’s social and festival traditions — gathering with family, exchanging gifts, having decorations, watching holiday movies and baking.
Younger celebrants are a bit less likely than older ones to display religious decorations or attend church on Christmas, consistent with young adults being less likely to have a religious identity. However, the largest age-related difference is seen in attending live holiday concerts or plays. Only 32% of young adults say they do this, compared with about half of middle-aged and older adults.
Bottom Line
Christmas continues to occupy an important place in American life, with nearly nine in 10 adults saying they celebrate the holiday. Although fewer people, including fewer Christians, appear to be incorporating religious aspects, Christmas is thriving as a social occasion focused on gatherings, festivities and gifts. Its popularity among young adults and non-Christians in general suggests that even as the U.S. continues to change demographically, a less religiously focused Christmas will endure.
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