Ninety percent (90%) of American adults will celebrate Christmas in some form or another this holiday season. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 82% will have a large dinner with family and friends to celebrate the occasion. (see crosstabs)

Sixty-eight percent (68%) of those celebrating Christmas will open presents on Christmas morning while 25% get an earlier start and open presents on Christmas Eve.

Sixty-four percent (64%) of all Americans consider Christmas one of the nation’s most important holidays. While that figure is down from 71% a year ago, Christmas still tops the list of most important holidays (the Fourth of July is second). Just 6% say Christmas is one of the least important holidays while 26% place it somewhere in between.

An earlier survey this year found that 75% of those who celebrate Christmas treat it as a religious holiday and an identical 77% believe that Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary. Sixty-four percent (64%) of all Americans believe there should be a greater focus during the season on the birth of Jesus.

A separate Rasmussen Reports survey revealed that 57% of Americans say they will attend a Christian service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day this year. The same survey also found that 67% prefer stores to use the phrase “Merry Christmas” in season advertising rather than “Happy Holidays.” And when it comes to Christmas traditions, 67% will decorate their homes for the holidays, 25% will be traveling out of town and just 13% plan to go Christmas caroling this year.

Eighty-one percent (81%) believe that Christian holiday symbols such as a baby lying in a manger should be allowed on public land. But, you might want to stay away from that topic at a holiday gathering. Only 15% of Americans are looking forward to discussing politics with a passion this holiday season. Twenty-five percent (25%) will avoid political discussions like the plague.

Merry Christmas!