Only 40% of Millennials Say Christmas Has Religious Significance

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Millennials are more Humanist than religious.

In a 2013 survey by Pew Research Center, nine out of a total of ten Millennials claim to take part in Christmas festivities, but only four of them believe that the holiday is of religious significance to them. About 43 percent of Millennials regard Christmas as a cultural holiday. Only 40 percent view it as a religious one.

Differences in How Millennials View and Celebrate Christmas Compared to Older Generations.[/tweetthis]

The findings are in stark contrast with the data gleaned from older generations. A majority of them regard Christmas as a Christian religious holiday. To give an example, about 56 percent of the Baby Boomer generation view the festive occasion in a religious context. Only 26 percent perceive it as cultural one. It is clear that the two generations view the world much more differently.

Is Christmas more a religious or cultural holiday?

Millennials will celebrate more by attending holiday parties and installing decorations for Christmas. They will also go caroling. About 91 percent of respondents among the Millennials have expressed willingness to purchase gifts during a holiday season, and only 86 percent of the respondents among Baby Boomers expressing the same wish. The game of “Secret Santa” is also played more by the younger generation.

Even though Millennials are more involved in exchanging gifts and wearing appropriate clothes, they are found less likely to send cards. The older generation is more active in this sphere. The Pew Research has found that only 57 percent of total Millennials will send cards. In contrast, about 68 percent of total Baby Boomers will be sending one.

About 49 percent of Millennials are loath to attend any religious service during the Christmas season. This includes both Christmas Eve and the day of Christmas. This can be compared with 41 percent of Baby Boomers. About 26 percent of Millennials disbelieve that Jesus Christ had a virgin birth. Only 20 percent of the older generation hold the same view.

Belief that Jesus Christ was born to a virgin

It is clear from the study that Millennials are much less religious compared to their older counterparts. They are also much less likely to identify themselves with any religious group. These traits come in the fore when they celebrate Christmas. To sum it up, about 68 percent of the silent generation regard Christmas to be of religious significance, compared to 56 percent of Baby Boomers. Religious thinking is done by 49 percent of Generation X and among Millennials, the religious makeup 40 percent. The highest non-religiosity comes from the Millennials at 43 percent.

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