Is Christmas a religious holiday? A growing number of Americans say no

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Liam Stack

President Trump and his wife, Melania, at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree near the White House in November.Credit Jim Lo Scalzo/European Pressphoto Agency

Combatants in the annual “War on Christmas” have some new data to chew on, thanks to a survey released this week by the Pew Research Center. While many doubt that Christmas is embattled, as some conservative pundits contend, the new study does suggest American attitudes are changing. The Pew study, based on interviews conducted in recent weeks with 1,503 adults, found that while a vast majority of Americans still celebrate Christmas, most find the religious elements of the holiday are emphasized less than in the past — and few of them care about that change. Fifty-six percent of Americans believe that the religious elements of Christmas are emphasized less now than they were in the past, but only 32 percent of Americans say that development bothers them either “a lot” or “some,” according to the study. [More]