What percentage of the UK don't celebrate Christmas?
Around 10-11% of the UK population doesn't celebrate Christmas, with recent surveys showing 89-91% of Britons marking the occasion, though participation varies from full religious observance to secular festivities like gift-giving, with about 17% disliking or hating the holiday, according to YouGov and Statista data from late 2025.
How many people don't celebrate Christmas in the UK?
89% of Britons celebrate Christmas. 34% of Britons say they “love” Christmas, with another 39% saying they like it. One in eleven Britons (9%) say they dislike or hate Christmas.
In the UK (or Great Britain and Northern Ireland), families often celebrate Christmas together, so they can watch each other open their presents! Most families have a Christmas Tree (or maybe even two!) in their house for Christmas. The decorating of the tree is usually a family occasion, with everyone helping.
Some Puritans objected to the celebrations as there was no mention of such things in the Bible, and therefore couldn't be justified as they were not rooted in scripture. Many also felt that the Christmas festivities had simply become too drunken and debauched. Presbyterians in Scotland had outlawed Christmas in 1640.
About nine in 10 older Americans celebrate Christmas, including 90% of those 35 to 54, and 89% of those 55 and older, while 85% of young adults aged 18 to 34 also celebrate it.
*These 10 Countries Do Not Celebrate Christmas | Why They Do It Differently #ChristmasAroundTheWorld
Which country is 100% atheist?
A 2023 Gallup International survey found that Sweden was the country with the highest percentage of citizens that stated they do not believe in a god. In 2020, the majority (78%) of the global nonreligious or unaffiliated demographic resided in Asia-Pacific.
The rejection of Christmas as a joyful period was reiterated when a 1644 ordinance confirmed the abolition of the feasts of Christmas, Easter and Whitsun. From this point until the Restoration in 1660, Christmas was officially illegal.
Judaism. Jewish theology rejects the divinity of Jesus and that he is the true Messiah, therefore Judaism does not include a Christmas celebration. Many Jewish texts express negative sentiments about Christmas. Nittel Nacht is a term used in historical Jewish literature for Christmas Eve.
Before the Reformation in 1560, Christmas in Scotland had been a religious feasting day. Then, with the powerful Kirk frowning upon anything related to Roman Catholicism, the Scottish Parliament passed a law in 1640 that made celebrating 'Yule vacations' illegal.
Adam Zeidan is an Assistant Managing Editor, having joined Encyclopædia Britannica in 2018. He covers a range of topics related primarily to the Middle East and North Africa. Christmas is traditionally a Christian festival, with markedly Christian teachings, and so Muslims do not typically celebrate the holiday.
Yes, British people say "Happy Christmas," and it's very common, often used interchangeably with "Merry Christmas," though "Happy Christmas" was favored by the Royal Family and higher classes to avoid "merry's" association with drunkenness, while "Merry Christmas" is still used, especially when paired with "and a Happy New Year". Both greetings are used widely in the UK, but "Happy Christmas" can feel more distinctly British or formal.
She said few people in Britain realise that Christianity "arrived in India more than 2,000 years ago, brought by St Thomas, one of Jesus's disciples". The community across the UK continue to celebrate Christmas through traditions shaped by that ancient faith and European influences.
Around three quarters of Britons say they like (39%) or love (34%) Christmas. But not everybody fully feels the festive cheer, with 17% of Britons saying they neither like nor dislike Christmas, while a further 9% dislike or even hate the holiday.
Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam do not recognize Christmas as a public holiday, but the holiday is given observance.
Many Jews would strongly respond no, because Christmas is not part of Judaism—not only do they not celebrate it, but they believe that they absolutely should not. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, who for Christians is the Messiah.
Supported by his Puritan forces, Cromwell believed it was his mission to cleanse the country of decadence. In 1644 he enforced an Act of Parliament banning Christmas celebrations. Christmas was regarded by the Puritans as a wasteful festival that threatened core Christian beliefs.
Can Employees Refuse to Work the Festive Celebration? If an individual's employment contract obligates them to work on Christmas day, they generally cannot refuse. Doing so could lead to their employment being terminated due to a breach of contract.
Christmas is the biggest event of the year in the UK calendar. England might officially be a Christian country but fewer and fewer people are religious these days. There are also a lot of people living here who practise other religions.
Sikhism has its own distinct values, Gurpurabs, and Shaheedi days, which deserve respect and remembrance. Christmas belongs to another religious tradition, so Sikhs should focus on living according to Gurmat and honoring their own heritage.
From 1659 to 1681, celebrating Christmas in Boston was a criminal offense, and businesses were required to remain open on the holiday. The ban in England ended in 1660 with the restoration of Charles II, but it persisted in New England until 1681.
Though Japan does not view Christmas as a religious holiday, it is still celebrated as a way to reunite families. So, if you want to explore Japan this coming Christmas, why not sort your travel early by booking your JR Pass!
