As the year draws to a close, our collective perspective on the holiday season is not particularly rosy. More than half of Canadians (53 per cent, down three points since 2023) told us they expect the holidays to be “more fun than stressful,” but just over three in 10 (31 per cent, up four points) believe it will be “more stressful than fun.”
In seven years, this is the first time we’ve seen a score of 31 per cent on stress—one point higher than in 2019 and 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic yielded a significant number of undecided respondents.
On a lighter note, we continue to see Canadians preferring a specific greeting. More than three-in-five (62 per cent) select “Merry Christmas,” while 24 per cent pick “Happy Holidays.” Since 2018, “Merry Christmas” has lost 12 points, while “Happy Holidays” has gained 10 points.
There is no significant change in the way we feel about the staples of the season. Turkey remains the overwhelming favourite, with 85 per cent of Canadians (up two points) saying they like it, and at least six in 10 want cranberry sauce (68 per cent, up three points) and Brussels sprouts (60 per cent, unchanged) next to it. Mulled wine is welcomed by 40 per cent (up three points) but drops to 33 per cent among those aged 55 and over. Meanwhile, practically three in five Canadians (59 per cent) like egg nog.
Generation X remains unconvinced—perhaps slightly traumatized—about concoctions that feature fruits, nuts and spices. Fruit cake, mince pies and plum pudding are enjoyed by 58 per cent (unchanged), 49 per cent (down one point) and 47 per cent (unchanged) of Canadians. Among those aged 35 to 54, the proportions for each dish fall to 52 per cent, 46 per cent and 43 per cent. Call it a rare occasion of agreement between the country’s youngest and oldest adults.
Finally, we asked Canadians about Santa Claus. More than half (56 per cent) told us they learned “the truth” at age 9 or younger, while almost three in 10 (28 per cent) found out at age 10 or older. Alberta is home to the largest proportions of Canadians who kept the illusion alive until later in life (35 per cent), followed by Ontario (33 per cent) and Atlantic Canada (also 33 per cent). Things were different in B.C. (24 per cent), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (22 per cent) and Quebec (20 per cent).
When pondering the appropriate age for children to be told “the truth” about Santa Claus—setting aside their own personal experience—we gravitate towards the lowest childhood age bracket. Half of Canadians (50 per cent) believe the correct time is when kids are aged nine or younger. Still, more than a third (36 per cent) would wait until they are aged 10 or older, including eight per cent who would wait until children are officially teenagers.
Despite the absence of a complete consensus on Santa, most Canadians are not frustrated when looking back on their experience. Seven in 10 (70 per cent) say they are “satisfied” with the way their parents and/or caregivers handled these conversations. Only 15 per cent are “dissatisfied” and a further 15 per cent are not sure.
The generational agreement we found on fruit cake, mince pies and plum pudding fades away when discussing our relationship with Santa Claus. While only eight per cent of Canadians aged 55 and over are “dissatisfied” with the way the issue was approached when they were young, the proportion rises to 14 per cent among those aged 35 to 54 and to 20 per cent among those aged 18 to 34. It may not look like much at first glance, but as many as one in five young adults in Canada may look at their family this Christmas thinking: “You could have handled this differently when I was a kid.”
Mario Canseco is president of Research Co.
Results are based on an online survey conducted from December 5-7, 2024, among a representative sample of 1,004 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region Canada. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
