Is the Christmas Turkey Getting Stuffed?

Toronto, ON - It appears that the Christmas turkey, as well as other holiday traditions, might be getting stuffed, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. While seven in ten (72%) Canadians say they'll have turkey for Christmas dinner, that's down 3 points since last year and down 9 points since 2007.

An equal proportion (72%) of Canadians say they have a Christmas Tree, down 6 points since last year and 2007, and one half (50%) will hang stockings down 2 points since last year and 10 points since 2007. Nearly three in ten (28%) will go to Church for Christmas mass/service, down 2 points since last year and 20 points since 2007, and 27% have a nativity scene in their home (down 2 points since last year and 20 points since 2007.

The decline in the observance of Christmas traditions is likely a function of a more diverse religious population in Canada, as well as a general trend away from organized religion on the whole. Four in ten (44%) Canadians say they practise a form of religion (down 2 points since last year), while seven in ten (68%) Canadians call themselves a Christian (down 4 points).

Churches are likely to be fuller this Christmas than during the rest of the year. While 28% of Canadians say they'll attend a Christmas mass or service, just 16% say they attend their church's service/mass on a regular basis - at least a few times a month - down 1 point since last year.

Christmas Traditions More Popular with Women, in English Canada...

Christmas traditions appear to hold more sway with women than with men. Women are more likely than men to have turkey for Christmas dinner (74% women vs. 69% men), have a Christmas tree (80% women vs. 63% men), hang stockings (55% women vs. 44% men), go to church (29% women vs. 27% men) and have a nativity scene (31% women vs. 22% men).

Many of these traditions also appear to be more widely celebrated in English Canada than in Quebec. Quebecers are significantly less likely than the national average to have a turkey for Christmas dinner (49% Quebec vs. 72% average), have a Christmas tree (66% Quebec vs. 72% average), hang stockings (37% Quebec cs. 50% average), go to church (18% Quebec vs. 28% average) and have a nativity scene in their home (23% Quebec vs. 27% average).

Religion by the Demos...

While 44% of Canadians practise a form of religion, not all Canadians are equally as likely:

• Women (48%) are more likely than men (39%) to be practising a form of religion.
• Canadians aged 55+ (53%) are significantly more likely than those aged 35 to 54 (41%) or 18 to 34 (36%) to practise religion.
• Residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (63%) are most likely to practise a form of religion, followed by Atlantic Canadians (53%), Ontarians (46%), Albertans (43%), Quebecers (38%) and British Columbians (32%).

Seven in ten (68%) Canadians call themselves a Christian:

• Older Canadians (84%) are most likely to call themselves a Christian, followed by middle-aged (66%) or younger adults (53%).
• Atlantic Canadians (82%) are most likely to identify themselves a Christian, followed by those living in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (81%), Quebec (74%), Ontario (66%), British Columbia (59%), and Alberta (58%).

Nearly two in ten (16%) Canadians say they attend their church's service or mass on a regular basis - at least once a week:

• Older Canadians (21%) are most likely to say they attend on a regular basis, followed by younger Canadians (17%). Interestingly, middle-aged (12%) Canadians are least likely to attend Church regularly.
• Residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (37%) are most likely to attend church on a regular basis, followed by Atlantic Canadians (23%), Albertans (23%), Ontarians (17%), British Columbians (11%) and Quebecers (8%).

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 14 and 19, 2011, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,021 Canadians who season from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid, Public Affairs
416.324.2002
[email protected]

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