Have you ever wondered why people celebrate Christmas? Might it be the decorations, eating freshly baked cookies with a cup of hot cocoa cuddled up on the couch, finding that perfect Christmas tree to illuminate the season in your home, giving gifts, the first snowfall, gazing at your neighbors Christmas lights, and a great many other traditions tied to this holiday. Or do some celebrate for the holiday’s religious purpose, the birth of Jesus Christ. 

In America, Christmas is definitely a cozy and cheery time of year to spend with family and friends, but it is also a time for Christians and other religious individuals to acknowledge the biblical celebration. So this rising question must be asked, how many people celebrate in a non-religious way? In a recent survey by Pew Research Center, Millenials are less likely to celebrate Christmas religiously compared to other generations such as Generation X and Baby Boomers. 

 “Nine in ten Millenials say that they take part in Christmas, but only four in ten say they do so mainly as a religious holiday.” 

These numbers keep declining year after year, with religious aspects of Christmas becoming less prominent in the U.S. public. Many claim this disbelief is because of the impossible events of Jesus’ virgin birth. Pew Research Center took a poll on the four categories from the events of Jesus’ birth. Among the religiously unaffiliated in 2017, 11% of NET, believe Jesus was born to a virgin, baby Jesus was laid in a manger, wise men guided by a star brought Jesus gifts, and an angel announced the birth of Jesus to the Shepards. 

“The declines in belief in the Christmas narrative are sharpest among religious “nones.” For instance, belief in the virgin birth has declined from 30% in 2014 to 17% today among the non-religious” (Pew Research Center).  

As can be seen, the Christmas holiday and the belief of what it celebrates is no longer relevant to the millions of Americans who celebrate non-religiously. With this data, we can only expect the numbers to continue declining throughout the next generations. So, for what purpose do you celebrate Christmas?