Poll: 86 Percent Celebrate the Holidays

A new YouGov survey finds that 86% of Americans plan to celebrate Christmas or another winter holiday. Many will be traveling, taking children to see Santa, listening to holiday music, and finding other ways to enjoy the season. The poll also explored whether Americans think there is a war on Christmas and which political party they think Santa Claus would be more likely to support.

The share of Americans who agree there is a war on Christmas in the United States has fallen since December 2022, to 23% from 39%. Among Republicans, 36% believe there is a war on Christmas, down from 59% in 2022.

Today, while 46% of Americans disagree that there is a war on Christmas, while 23% disagree. 33% of Republicans, 47% of Independents, and 61% of Democrats disagree.

Other Santa elements will play a big role in celebrations this year. 65% of parents with children under 18 say their children will be hanging up a stocking for Santa to fill this year. 48% say their children will visit Santa in-person at a mall or holiday event, 45% say their children will be leaving out cookies and milk for Santa, and 43% say their children will be writing a letter to Santa asking for gifts. 41% of parents say their children will be tracking Santa’s progress on Christmas Eve.

For many families, Santa is a tradition passed down through generations. 81% of Americans say they believed in Santa as a child and 76% say their own parents or guardians pretended that Santa visited their home.

74% of Americans say as children, they visited Santa in-person. 69% hung up stockings for him to fill, 63% left out cookies and milk, and 60% wrote letters asking him for gifts. Fewer (39%) tracked his progress on Christmas Eve.

But belief in Santa eventually comes to an end for most children. 13% of Americans stopped believing in Santa when they were 6 or younger. 24% stopped believing in him sometime between the ages of 6 and 9, and 13% stopped believing when they were 10 years old. 11% stopped believing in Santa when they were between 11 and 13 years old and 4% stopped believing in him when they were 14 or older. 11% say they never believed in Santa, and 25% are unsure when they stopped believing.