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“Merry Christmas!”

That’s still the preferred greeting for an overwhelming number of Canadians during the holiday season, according to a new Research Co. poll.

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In an online survey conducted this month, a resounding 75 per cent of respondents said “Merry Christmas” is their favourite greeting for the holidays. The second favourite greeting, “Happy Holidays,” was a distant second at 14 per cent.

“Affinity to ‘Merry Christmas’ increases with age,” said Mario Canseco, president of Research Co. The survey found Canadians aged 55 and older were most likely to go with ‘Merry Christmas’ compared to respondents aged 18 to 34.

Canadians prefer the traditional greeting, regardless of their religious affiliation, or lack thereof, as 62 per cent of respondents say religion is not an important part of their daily lives.

Out of all provinces, British Columbians were the least likely to say religion was “very important” or “moderately important” to their daily lives. Respondents from Saskatchewan and Manitoba were the most likely to say religion plays a larger role in their lives.