Holiday Traditions on the Decline, but Canadians Emphatic it Remains the "Christmas Season" (73%),
not "Holiday Season" (27%)
Some traditions are more widely observed than others, and Ipsos has been tracking many of these traditions over the years. Eight in ten (80%) Canadians will exchange gifts at Christmas time, and three quarters (73%) will have a Christmas Tree, down 2 points in 2 years. Fewer than half (45%) of Canadians will hang stockings, down from 48% in 2012 and 60% in 2007.
Focusing on food, two in three (65%) will have turkey for Christmas dinner (down 3 points in 2 years, and down 16 points since 2007). Two in ten (20%) Canadians will have Tourtiиre, including 53% of Quebecers, although this is down significantly from the 34% of Canadians and 68% of Quebecers who said they would have Tourtiиre in 2007.
When it comes to the religious aspect of Christmas, just 28% of Canadians will go to Church as part of their tradition, down from 30% in 2012 and 48% in 2007. Fewer than a quarter (23%) of Canadians will have a nativity scene in their home, down from 28% in 2012 and 47% in 2007.
Christmas vs. the Holiday Season...
Despite the fact that the observance of many Christmas traditions in Canada is declining, most (73%) believe that `we should refer to the end of the year as the Christmas Season because that is the original meaning and purpose of the holiday', a sentiment that is statistically unchanged (up 1 point) since 2012. On the other hand, one quarter (27%) more closely believe that `we should refer to the end of the year as the Holiday Season' because not everyone celebrates Christmas and it's important to be inclusive of other religions and cultures' (down 1 point).
There isn't any significant regional or gender variation on this topic, however, older Canadians aged 55+ are most likely to believe it should be called the Christmas Season (83%) compared to those aged 35 to 54 (68%) and 18 to 34 (65%). Younger people are more inclined to use the more inclusive Holiday Season moniker (35%) compared to middle-aged (32%) and older (17%) Canadians.
The Meaning of Christmas...
With traditions on the decline, Christmas is slowly becoming less about family and religion. A majority (56%) of Canadians believe the most important thing about Christmas is that it's a time for family, down 4 points since 2007. Only two in ten (20%) say it's a time to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ (down 3 points).
Twice as many Canadians now compared to 2007 believe it's simply a nice festive season in the middle of winter (14%, up 7 points), while 9% think the most important thing about Christmas is that it's a time for sharing and gift giving (down 1 point).
- Quebecers are most likely (66%) to describe it as a time for family, ahead of those in Alberta (60%), Atlantic Canada (56%), BC (55%), Ontario (52%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (46%).
- Residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (39%) are most likely to say it's a time to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ compared to Atlantic Canadians (28%), Ontarians (23%), Albertans (22%), British Columbians (19%) and Quebecers (9%).
- British Columbians (18%) and Quebecers (17%) are more likely than those in Ontario (14%), Alberta (9%), the Prairies (8%) and Atlantic Canada (6%) to say it's a nice festive season in the middle of winter.
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 16 to 19, 2014 on behalf of Global News. For this survey, a sample of 1,005 Canadians 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. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/- 3.5 percentage points had all Canadians adults 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]
About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.
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About Ipsos
Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.
With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.
Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.
Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,712,4 million (2 274 M$) in 2013.
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