One in five Catalans does not know the real meaning of Christmas

Twenty per cent of Catalans do not know what is celebrated at Christmas. The lack of knowledge is greater among young people. The Barometer of Religiosity reveals surprising data. By the way, do you know who the Buddhist leader is? Discover more about religious illiteracy in Catalonia.

The latest Barometer of Religiosity, prepared by the Direcció General d’Afers Religiosos del Departament de Justícia, reveals that 20 per cent of Catalans cannot explain what is actually commemorated during the Christmas holiday. The lack of knowledge is even more pronounced among young people: almost 32 per cent of respondents aged between 16 and 25 could not answer this question correctly. In the remaining age groups, the percentage of correct answers ranges from 79 per cent among adults aged 25 to 34 to 86 per cent in the 50-to-64 group.

The report also highlights the rise in what is known as religious illiteracy, especially among younger generations. Only 63.9 per cent of Catalans correctly identify the Pope as leader of the Catholic Church, and 67.5 per cent know at what times of day fasting takes place during Ramadan. Curiously, the latter question is the only one in which under-25s exceed the average, with 72 per cent correct answers.

As for other religions, only 34.6 per cent of the population know who the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists is. Questions about Orthodox, Buddhist, Jewish, Protestant and Jehovah’s Witness traditions do not exceed 40 per cent correct answers. In every case, the level of knowledge among young people is markedly lower than among older generations.