A significant majority of Canadians are opting for the traditional "Merry Christmas" greeting this festive season, even as many anticipate a stressful holiday period, according to a new national survey.
Traditional Greeting Holds Strong Across the Nation
The poll, conducted by Research Co. between December 9 and 17, 2025, surveyed 1,002 Canadian adults. It found that 67% of respondents prefer using "Merry Christmas" when exchanging seasonal wishes. This marks a notable increase of five percentage points from the firm's 2024 findings.
In contrast, only 18% of Canadians said they prefer the more inclusive "Happy Holidays," which represents a six-point drop from the previous year. Another 16% of those surveyed were either unsure or expressed no preference between the two greetings.
Political and Regional Divides in Festive Preferences
The preference for "Merry Christmas" showed clear correlations with political affiliation and geography. Supporters of the Conservative Party of Canada were the most likely to favour the traditional greeting, with 77% expressing a preference for it. This compares to 63% of Liberal voters and 51% of NDP supporters.
Regionally, the strongest backing for "Merry Christmas" came from Atlantic Canada (77%) and Alberta (72%). The province of Quebec showed the lowest level of support for the traditional phrase at 59%, with a quarter of Quebec respondents indicating they preferred "Happy Holidays."
Holiday Stress and Seasonal Traditions
Beyond greetings, the poll also explored the emotional landscape of the holiday season. While more than half of Canadians (52%) expect the season to be more fun than stressful, a substantial minority of 30% anticipate it will be more stressful. The remaining respondents were unsure.
Generation X members reported the highest levels of anticipated stress, with 34% foreseeing a difficult season. This compares to 31% of millennials, 29% of Generation Z, and 27% of baby boomers.
Geographically, concerns about holiday stress were highest in Atlantic Canada (38%) and lowest in Quebec (23%). Conservative Party voters (34%) were also more likely to predict a stressful season than Liberal (28%) or NDP (26%) voters.
The survey reaffirmed Canadians' love for classic holiday foods. Staples like turkey (82%), cranberry sauce (65%), and fruit cake (58%) for dessert remained highly popular. However, enthusiasm was more muted for mulled wine (36%) and plum pudding (44%).
In a lighter finding, the poll also asked Canadians about Santa Claus. A majority (52%) said they discovered the truth about Santa at age nine or younger. The same percentage believed that nine or younger is the appropriate age for children to learn, while 36% thought age ten or older was more suitable.
The survey carries a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
