21 percent of U.S. adults believe in Santa Claus: poll

Story at a glance

• Pollsters set out to assess Americans’ perceptions of Christmas. 

• A majority of respondents said the country has forgotten the real meaning of the holiday. 

• Just over one-fifth of adults surveyed said they believe in Santa Claus. 

Christmas time is here again, and with it the annual flurry of holiday parties, non-stop carols, and cookies galore. 

A new poll carried out by Ipsos aimed to pin down Americans’ perceptions of the holiday, and covered a range of topics from Christmas songs to decorations. 

Among the findings, responses showed just over a fifth of American adults say they believe in Santa Claus, who—according to tradition—brings gifts to children who’ve been good and coal to those who’ve been bad each year on Christmas Eve. 

Around half of American children also believe in Father Christmas, poll results show. But despite the enduring legacy of St. Nick—or Kris Kringle—many Americans feel the country has forgotten the real meaning of the holiday. 

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Three-quarters of respondents said most Americans have forgotten the real meaning of Christmas—which for Christians marks the birth of Jesus. Around two-thirds of U.S. adults identify as Christian, and the holiday is one of the biggest of the year for the religion.

For non-religious Americans, the holiday can mark a time of giving and spending time with family and friends. Poll results show Americans typically give an average of 12 gifts each year around the holidays and receive six.

Seventy percent of Americans also said they would be comfortable attending a holiday party for a religion other than their own. 

But the commercialization of the season leads many each year to lament the loss of the real meaning of the holiday, which some say has been replaced with fervent consumerism. Forty-two percent of respondents even said they strongly agree that the meaning of Christmas has been forgotten, with responses varying based on religion, party affiliation and age.

More Christians (84 percent) think America has forgotten the real meaning of the holiday than non-religious individuals (60 percent). Agreement is also higher among Republicans and older Americans. 

Airwaves play a key part in spreading holiday cheer as many switch their programming to Christmas music either on Thanksgiving Day or shortly thereafter. This decision is bolstered by poll findings, which show 87 percent of Americans say waiting until at least after Thanksgiving is the most appropriate time to start playing Christmas music in public.

But for some Americans, certain songs can be played one too many times. Over half said they could name a song they found most irritating during the holiday season.

A plurality of those surveyed agreed Mariah Carey’s 1994 hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” is the most annoying and/or overplayed Christmas song, with 12 percent saying so. Another 6 percent said the same about “Jingle Bells” and 5 percent about the tune “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.” 

Many Americans also take the holiday spirit into their own hands, as nearly 85 percent say they decorate for Christmas, though a plurality said they begin to take down the decor shortly thereafter, in the first week of January. 

The poll was carried out among a nationally representative sample of 1,023 adults between Dec. 9-11, 2022.