For centuries, the Christmas holiday was defined as a primarily religious holiday of the Christian faith, celebrating the story of the nativity and the birth of Jesus. Traditionally, this was honored by attending church and watching a Nativity play.
But, now with the rise of mass consumerism and a more secular society overall, the religious elements of the holiday are less emphasized than ever before. So, would the majority of people still consider Christmas as a religious holiday?
There are signs everywhere that Christmas generally is turning into a much less church oriented celebration than before in mainstream society.
In pop culture, many of the religious symbols of Christmas have been replaced by decorated gifts and characters such as Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. The same is true for music and movies where we gather around the television to watch “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” and listen to songs like“Santa Baby” and “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.”
Research confirms that these trends are real. For example, a study done by Pew Research Center states that there are less adults attending church on Christmas Eve or Christmas day than before. In the same study, less than half of adults celebrated Christmas as a religious holiday at all.
But could this all just be the after-effect of the rise of secularism in the U.S?
Overall, in the United States, church attendance has been declining for many years. And in the Pew Research Center study, fewer Americans actually say they believe the biblical Christmas story, whether or not they were of Christian or non-christian faith.
Another part of this trend can be traced to generational differences in the United States. While the silent generation and baby boomers (65-70%) are more likely to say they believe in the biblical Christmas story, younger generations like millennials (44%) are less believing. So, as the younger generations come to celebrate Christmas in their own ways and create their own traditions, there is a higher chance that the inclusion of religious and biblical elements will continue to decrease.
What makes our society great, is that it makes a place for families of all faiths and traditions. So, while you spend some time with your family this year, you can be assured that every celebration is worth it.