While the message sometimes gets lost in all the commercialization, 64% of Americans say they will celebrate Christmas this Thursday as a religious holiday honoring the birth of Jesus Christ. Another 27% celebrate the holiday in a more secular manner, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Six percent (6%) don’t celebrate Christmas at all and 3% are not sure how to answer.

These figures help explain an earlier survey showing that 69% of Americans generally use “Merry Christmas” when greeting people at this time of year. However, 71% are not offended by those who say “Happy Holidays”.

Those over 40 are a bit more likely to celebrate the holiday as a religious event than younger adults. African-Americans are more likely to celebrate the birth of Christ than whites.

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Eighty-one percent (81%) say they’ll enjoy a big Christmas dinner with family and/or friends. Sixty-six percent (66%) say Christmas is one of the nation’s most important holidays while only 6% say it’s one of the least important. Those figures have changed little from a year ago and Christmas remains atop the list of the nation’s most important holidays. The Fourth of July coming in second.

Seventy-two percent (72%) of those who celebrate Christmas will open presents on Christmas morning. Twenty-two percent (22%) open their presents on Christmas Eve.

As for the faith elements of the holiday, 82% of all adults believe Jesus Christ was the Son of God sent to earth to die for our sins. That figure is slightly up since Easter when 77% thought Jesus died for our sins.

Three-out-of-four (75%) now believe Jesus Christ was born to a virgin.

Finally, 83% of adults think that the person known to history as Jesus Christ actually walked the earth 2000 years ago. Just five percent (5%) disagree. The Easter survey showed similar results.

For those who focus on the retail side of Christmas, this season is not quite so cheery. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Americans say they’ll be spending less on gifts this year and 66% say they’ll be buying gifts for fewer people.

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