Who Celebrates Christmas in America?
Christmas is essentially a Christian holiday, and America has roughly 160 million Christians, who make up 75% of the U.S. adult population according to the authors of a survey conducted in 2001. The same survey estimated that Jewish people number roughly 2.8 million people, or 1.3% of the population, while Muslims number 1.1 million people, or 0.5% of the population. Even if only Christians were to celebrate the holiday, still more than half of the US population would be celebrating. In reality, however, people of many different faiths may celebrate Christmas simply because the holiday is so important in America. The Political Debates Surrounding Christmas in America The debate over Christmas in the United States stems in part from tensions between some of those who celebrate the holiday and some of those who do not. Among the most visible leaders in this political debate is Bill O’Reilly, the anchor of the O’Reilly Factor, a socially conservative news hour that broadcasts daily from M
