For some people Christmas means too much time shopping, a few days off from work, time with family or remembering the birth of Jesus. But a Christian research organization found only about a third of adults now cite their religious beliefs as the main factor in celebrating Christmas.
LifeWay Research says a growing number of people now leave religious sentiment out of Christmas. In fact, a lot people say it's mostly about being with friends and family. And plenty of people WFMY News 2 spoke with Monday say -- for better or for worse -- there's just no getting around all the gift-giving.
Sisters Nikki Cox and Hannah Wall spent plenty of time shopping in Greensboro Monday, either though neither of them really wanted to. So how much does a feeling of obligation play into their decision to shop?
"It's a huge part," Cox said. "Every year I feel like I have to buy the same amount [of gifts] I've bought year after year because I feel like [my family members] expect it. Then I feel like I'm not good enough if I didn't get them as much as I spent last year. But it's hard with the [economic] times now."
Still, Cox and her sister shopped Monday. And so did a lot of other people who are making giving gifts a big part of the Christmas season.
"Well, it's interesting," said retired psychologist John Edwards. "I saw a headline in the newspaper ... that said a majority of the population does not see Christmas as a theological proposition. They don't see it as a religious day."Edwards said obligation is now as much a part of christmas as anything else. When it comes to shopping, Cox knows the feeling.
"I hate to say guilt, but I guess sometimes because I just want to please everybody and make sure they're happy [I'll shop]."And a lot of us are in the same boat. "I guess it took 2,000 years to get here, so it's a little hard to say exactly how that happened," Edwards said. "Very slowly, very deliberately. And that's where we are."
When you break down the survey results by age, they're even more interesting. Fifty-six percent of people ages 18 to 29 say their Christmas is "primarily religious." At the same time, 74 percent of people in that age range told LifeWay many of the things they enjoy this season have "nothing to do with the birth of Jesus."