Is Christmas a time for family and festive gatherings, a religious holiday, or both? Canadians’ attitudes have apparently changed over the years.
According a study by the non-profit Angus Reid Institute, 53 per cent of Canadians polled said Christmas is a primarily a festive and fun occasion, whereas just 10 per cent said it is primarily a religious observance. Thirty-four per cent said it is both equally.
This year, just 26 per cent of Canadians will celebrate by attending a church service. Comparatively, 53 per cent of Canadians planned on attending church in a 1995 poll.
About 69 per cent of respondents said that Christmas has lost its real meaning, although Angus Reid points out that 65 per cent of people said the same thing 70 years ago.
82 per cent of Canadians still prefer to call the season Christmas, as opposed to “the holiday season.” The responses are virtually identical, regardless of the age of respondents.
The full report is available on the Angus Reid website.
