‘Christmas’ in Canada this ‘holiday season’
OTTAWA — You can say Merry Christmas in Canada and most people won’t get offended.
An Angus Reid Global poll showed that 92 per cent of English-Canadians think the most wonderful time of the year is called Christmas and not “the holiday season.”
Only eight per cent of English-Canadians erred on the side of politically correctness, referring to December as the holiday season. Manitoba and Saskatchewan had the highest scores for Christmas spirit, while Ontario was in fourth place. About 91 per cent of Ontario residents preferred “Christmas” over “the holiday season.”
Quebecers seemed to be split on the Christmas debate.
Almost 60 per cent of Quebecers chose to celebrate a merry little Christmas, but 41 per cent inclusively wished others happy holidays.
“This speaks to the cultural divide, if you will, between Quebec and the rest of the country,” Angus Reid, chairman of Angus Reid Global, said.
“It is the level of respectability, this idea that we need to cleanse society of any kind of religious overtones.”
Although “Christmas” reigns in Canada, the preference for using the traditional term isn’t necessarily motivated by religion. Fewer than one-third of Canadians said they would go to church at Christmas. Instead, more than 90 per cent of Canadians surveyed said they would spend December visiting friends and family and would have Christmas dinner.
Angus Reid Global surveyed 1,508 Canadian adults online on Dec. 10.