Sixty-four percent (64%) of adults say this holiday season should focus more on the birth of Jesus. A recent Rasmussen Reports survey found that 27% disagree, believing there should be less Christian emphasis. That’s up from 17% in our survey conducted this time last year.

Overall, most Americans (91%) celebrate Christmas with their family. Of those who observe Christmas, three-fourths (75%) celebrate it as a religious holiday. A fifth (20%) commemorate a secular Christmas.

Eighty-five percent (85%) believe that Jesus Christ was the son of God sent to Earth to die for our sins. Just 10% disagree and 5% aren’t sure. An interesting partisan divide occurs in this question.

Most (77%) Christian celebrants also believe that Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary. Thirteen percent (13%) don’t think the miracle occurred. More women (81%) believe Jesus was born to a virgin than men (73%).

Meanwhile, 84% think that the person known to history as Jesus Christ actually walked the earth two-thousand years ago. Only 5% disagree.

Of course, even among those who focus their holiday celebration on the birth of Christ, many caught up in the shopping frenzy associated with the season. With just one week to go, 29% of Americans say they’ve already finished their shopping this year. Twenty-eight percent (28%) have yet to begin.

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.

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