Americans are getting a little less religious in their Christmas observance, though the vast majority still celebrate the holiday that marks the birth of Jesus Christ, according to the Pew Center on Religion and Public Life.
Pew regularly polls Americans on religious belief and observance, asking the same questions over time in order to follow trends in American religion.
Here are some of the results of their poll of 1,503 Americans:
- In the 2017 poll, 66 percent believe Jesus was born to a virgin, compared to 73 percent in the 2014 poll.
- This year, 51 percent of Americans plan to attend a service on Christmas or Christmas Eve, compared with 54 percent in 2013.
- 56 percent believe religious parts of Christmas are emphasized less now, but only 18 percent find that bothersome.
- Despite ongoing calls from President Donald Trump and conservative commentators, most Americans aren't concerned about the language of Christmas/Holiday greetings in public places. 52 percent of Americans say they don't care how a store clerk acknowledges the holiday, while 32 percent would like to hear "Merry Christmas," and 15 percent would prefer "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings."
- 90 percent of Americans will celebrate Christmas either culturally, religiously, or both.
