Less Americans see Christmas as a religious holiday

DECATUR, IL (WAND) - Most Americans believe the religious aspect of Christmas is emphasized less, nowadays. Researchers call it a "shrinking majority" because the number of people who celebrate the holiday for religious reasons has shrunk.

WAND news reporters asked around Central Illinois to if people said Christmas was a religious or cultural holiday. There was a mixture of people who said religious, cultural or both. While the majority of adults celebrate the holidays; data from the Pew Research Center showed adults looking at Christmas as a religious day more in 2013 compared to 2017.

Research showed 51% said it was about the birth of Jesus (Christianity) in 2013. However, that number declined to 46, last year. It's something Decatur Pastor, Micah Ray, believes its one of the holidays where he's trying to hold on to the meaning of it.

"It's something over the years has become more and more just a holiday," Ray explained. "For years as a youth and children's pastor, I would ask what Christmas about. Very rarely did I hear someone say 'Jesus'."

While the numbers have raised eyebrows and concerns in the religious community. Ray is hopeful that his work as a pastor can help change the perception in the years to come.

He said it's up to adults to teach the next generation of what the true meaning of Christmas is about.