Holidays

							         TallahasseeVoices
                           “Merry Christmas” vs.
                            “Happy Holidays”
                                             12-5-2005




*TallahasseeVoices is a pro bono Internet survey panel sponsored by Kerr & Downs Research and The
Tallahassee Democrat. There were 828 responses to the survey sent out on December 5, 2005. Panel
results have been weighted to reflect the demographics of Leon County and results are representative of all
local residents who have access to the Internet at home, work, or school.
 Government should celebrate
        Christmas
• 89% believe that City/County governments
  should have Christmas trees
• 83% believe that City/County governments
  should play Christmas music
• 83% believe that City/County governments
  should display snowmen
• 81% believe that City/County governments
  should have Christmas displays
The President’s Christmas Tree

• 7 out of 10 residents believe the tree that
  the President of the U.S. lights should be
  called the Nation’s Christmas tree
       Greetings People Use

• 37% of local residents wish others a Merry
  Christmas
• 36% of local residents wish others
  different greetings for different people
• 23% of local residents wish others a
  Happy Holidays
          Live and Let Live

• 9% of Christians said they would be
  offended if not wished a Merry Christmas
• 5% of non-Christians said they would be
  offended if wished a Merry Christmas
         Retail Implications
• 42% of Tallahassee residents believe that
  retailers should reference Christmas
• 40% of Tallahassee residents believe that
  retailers should reference “holidays”
• 9% of Tallahassee residents have
  boycotted a retailer that does not
  reference Christmas,
• 2% of Tallahassee residents have
  boycotted a retailer that does reference
  Christmas
           Public Schools

• 63% believe that public schools should
  have Christmas celebrations
       Christmas under fire?

• 44% of Tallahassee residents do not
  believe that Christmas is under fire
• 34% of Tallahassee residents believe that
  secularist have declared war on Christmas
  City/County governments
should have Christmas trees:


  Agree                               89%




Disagree     12%




n=853   0%    20%   40%   60%   80%     100%
   City/County governments
 should have Christmas music:

  Agree                              83%




Disagree     17%




n=851   0%   20%   40%   60%   80%         100%
 City/County governments should
    have snowmen on display:


  Agree                              83%




Disagree     17%




n=832   0%   20%   40%   60%   80%         100%
   City/County governments
should have Christmas displays:


  Agree                           81%




Disagree      19%




n=858   0%   20%    40%   60%   80%     100%
The tree that the President of the US
 lights each year should be called:


 The nation's Christmas
          tree
                                                          70%




The nation's holiday tree               21%




                   Other         9%



   n=871                    0%        20%     40%   60%     80%   100%
    When you greet people this time of
           year, do you say:

    Merry Christmas                           37%

Different greetings for
                                              36%
   different people


     Happy Holidays                     23%


    Happy Hanukkah        0%


     Happy Kwanzaa        0%


                Other        4%

  n=872                 0%        20%         40%   60%   80%   100%
       Are you offended when someone wishes you
      Merry Christmas rather than Happy Holidays or
                  some other greeting?*



              No                                                                                               95%




            Yes           5%




                0%                     20%                    40%                    60%                 80%   100%
      n=686

* This question for Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhists, Chinese traditionalists, and Non religious only,
          Are you offended when someone wishes you
          Happy Holidays rather than Merry Christmas?




                   No                                               91%




                  Yes                  9%




                      0%                    20%   40%   60%   80%     100%
          n=679


* This question for Christians only,
                                         Retailers should:*

          Retailers should
      reference "Christmas"
                                                                                      42%




            Retailers should
                                                                                    40%
         reference "holidays"




                             Other                           18%



          n=866                       0%                  20%                  40%                  60%                  80%                 100%
* Some people believe that retailers should make reference to “Christmas” in their marketing, advertising, displays, etc. Other people believe that retailers
should make reference to “holidays” rather than Christmas. With which group are you more likely to agree?
 Have you boycotted a retailer that does
not reference Christmas in its marketing,
        advertising, displays, etc?


    No                                    91%




   Yes       9%




        0%        20%   40%   60%   80%     100%
n=876
Have you boycotted a retailer that does
 reference Christmas in its marketing,
       advertising, displays, etc?


    No                                    98%




   Yes       2%




        0%        20%   40%   60%   80%   100%
n=857
                      Public Schools should:*

         Have Christmas
     programs, parties, etc. in                                                                       63%
          public schools




      Do not have Christmas
     programs, parties, etc. in                        15%
          public schools




                             Other                            22%



         n=872                       0%                 20%                40%                60%                80%                100%

* Some people believe that public schools should have Christmas programs, parties, etc. because it is traditional and most students and parents do
not object. Other people believe that public schools should not have programs, plays, parties, etc. that single out any religion. With which group are
you more likely to agree?
     Do you agree or disagree that
   secularists have declared “War on
               Christmas?”

 Disagree                   44%




    Agree             34%




Don't Know      22%



n=878    0%   20%     40%         60%   80%   100%
   With which religion do you identify?

                Christianity                                 78%

              Non-religious               13%

                  Judaism           2%

                 Buddhism       1%

Chinese traditional religion    0%

                      Islam     0%

                  Hinduism      0%

                      Other          6%

    n=866                      0%         20%   40%   60%   80%    100%