According to a new Knights of Columbas-Marist poll, a majority of American’s prefer the greeting “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays.”

The nearly 6 in 10 (59 percent) who prefer Merry Christmas is slightly higher than last year’s 57 percent. Only 36% of Americans preferred “Happy Holidays” and the remainder selected “unsure.”

The Knights of Columbas-Marist released how the poll was conducted.

This survey of 1,074 adults was conducted November 6th through November 9th, 2017 by The Marist Poll. Adults 18 years of age and older residing in the contiguous United States were contacted on landline or mobile numbers and interviewed in English by telephone using live interviewers. The results were balanced to reflect the 2013 American Community Survey 1-year estimates for age, gender, income, race, and region. Results are statistically significant within ±3.0 percentage points. The error margin increases for cross-tabulations.

The Knights of Columbas was founded in 1882 by Venerable Father Michael McGivney, a parish priest, in New Haven, Connecticut. The organization was formed to provide charitable outreach and care for the financial well-being of Catholic families, focusing on the protection of widows and orphans, and on strengthening the faith of its members. It has grown to include 1.9 million members worldwide.