Theos, the public theology think-tank has published the results of a survey it commissioned into attitudes towards Christmas in the UK. The results are both very interesting and useful. Director of Theos, Paul Woolley comments:

The stark differences between Christmas for the rich and poor in society should trouble us.

In general terms, the financial downturn is clearly forcing people to tighten their belts this year. Still, it's interesting to note that 62% of people don't think it will make any difference to their enjoyment of Christmas.

The fact that 68% of people will be spending Christmas with their family shows how significant family bonds are, but we should be concerned that people aged 65 and over are most likely to spend Christmas alone.

It's clear that society is split right down the middle regarding the religious significance of Christmas.

It will surprise people that young people are most likely to believe that Jesus is relevant to their Christmas.

It's difficult to work out why fewer people expect to attend a Christmas church service than in previous years, although 36% remains a relatively high figure.