One More Sign Christianity Is Headed South

[Skwim]

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"Poll: Most Canadians Believe Christmas Is Mostly a Secular Celebration


Across Canada, signs of the season are everywhere: Christmas trees in windows, garlands of lights on city streets, a Santa Claus kiosk in every mall.

But according to a recent Angus Reid poll, the number of Canadians who view the holiday as reflective of Christian religious beliefs is lower than ever before."

source

.​

 

[sooda]

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"Poll: Most Canadians Believe Christmas Is Mostly a Secular Celebration


Across Canada, signs of the season are everywhere: Christmas trees in windows, garlands of lights on city streets, a Santa Claus kiosk in every mall.

But according to a recent Angus Reid poll, the number of Canadians who view the holiday as reflective of Christian religious beliefs is lower than ever before."

source

.​

Your findings are from 1988.

 

[McBell]

Your findings are from 1988.

The green bars are from 1988.
The red bars are from 2019

 

[McBell]

.

"Poll: Most Canadians Believe Christmas Is Mostly a Secular Celebration


Across Canada, signs of the season are everywhere: Christmas trees in windows, garlands of lights on city streets, a Santa Claus kiosk in every mall.

But according to a recent Angus Reid poll, the number of Canadians who view the holiday as reflective of Christian religious beliefs is lower than ever before."

source

.​

Not sure how you get from "Christmas has become a secular holiday" to "Christianity is headed south"...
but then, I also cannot access the source

 

[sooda]

The green bars are from 1988.
The red bars are from 2019

Oh my... so they are.

 

[Altfish]

Well, I certainly celebrate Xmas but there'll be no religion involved; having said that I quite enjoy carol singing.

 

[wellwisher]

Another way to look at the data is Christianity, via Christmas, has spread to the Heathens. Acceptance of cultural uniqueness has always been a strategy of the Catholic Church. You allow the local customs to merge with the essence of Christianity, thereby building a bridge. Christmas Day; December 25, was originally chosen to coincide with a Pagan festival, allowing the word to reach the Pagans.

 

[Subduction Zone]

One of the reasons that I have no problem in saying "Merry Christmas" is because it is now mostly a secular holiday that can include everyone. Though some Christians would disagree I see this as a good thing.

 

[Father Heathen]

Another way to look at the data is Christianity, via Christmas, has spread to the Heathens. Acceptance of cultural uniqueness has always been a strategy of the Catholic Church. You allow the local customs to merge with the essence of Christianity, thereby building a bridge. Christmas Day; December 25, was originally chosen to coincide with a Pagan festival, allowing the word to reach the Pagans.

You do realize that most Canadians are descended from Europe and thus no stranger to christianity, right?

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

Poll: Most Canadians Believe Christmas Is Mostly a Secular Celebration

Happy Festivus.

We had a dinner for five at home last night with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes because it's Christmas, but the words Christmas and Jesus were never mentioned, there was no tree or holiday decorations, and I believe that all five of us are atheists (none of us proclaim faith, attend any religious services, or show any signs of belief) and three born Jews.

Was that a Christmas celebration?

We're planning to do the same at somebody else's house on Christmas as we have for the last ten years, always the same home and usually the same dozen or so guests. It will be the same meal, but probably with the addition of cranberry and pumpkin pie. There will be a decorated tree and a gift exchange, but no mentions of Christmas or Jesus. Some years, somebody has begun a prayer at the table, which makes many of us feel uncomfortable. The last time that happened, the hosts didn't bow their heads or close their eyes, and didn't join in with the amen. Neither did my wife or I.

Will that be a Christmas celebration?

Your findings are from 1988

That's the before, the green bars.The red bars represent 2019 poll results, and are the after.

The after by itself shows where Canadians are today, together, the before and after show the trend over 31 years.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

How depressing. It's the secularization of Christmas that has ruined it in the first place. I'll stick to celebrating it at church, thank you. I don't even care about gifts or spending time with people or food anymore (although I'd prefer to be with people). I spent the last few years without any of those things, have no money for gifts and have food insecurity now.

 

[Bob the Unbeliever]

How depressing. It's the secularization of Christmas that has ruined it in the first place. I'll stick to celebrating it at church, thank you. I don't even care about gifts or spending time with people or food anymore (although I'd prefer to be with people). I spent the last few years without any of those things, have no money for gifts and have food insecurity now.

Well, considering that Late December was a Pagan holiday? And celebrating during that time is far older than Christianity, by a lot?

And that pretty much all the Traditional Symbolism isn't christian anyway? The decorated evergreen tree, the various traditional foods, the items hung here and there (i.e. holly and mistletoe are Druid/Pagan symbols), the Yule Log, the singing songs house-to-house, etc, etc, etc, it makes sense.

Even the gift exchange has zip-all to do with Christianity. And the visit by 3 Wizards/Kings/Wise Men? Even that is stolen from mysticism traditions. As is the virgin birth mythos, the forced travel to a distant city, the born in humble conditions-- all are stolen stories from earlier Traditions.

Come to think of it? Nothing, really, is unique or original material in Christianity...

 

[Revoltingest]

The neithers are holding steady!

 

[sun rise]

I would have and continue to vote 'both'.