Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/761508
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2016 10 MaltaToday Xmas Survey Survey shows that Santa myth is peddled most by those who believed in it longest JAM ES DEBONO A MaltaToday survey shows that 59% of Maltese parents and grandparents encourage their children and nephews to believe that Santa Claus exists. The survey also finds that those who believed longest in the existence of Santa Claus are also the most likely to tell their chil- dren that he exists. While only 36% of those who never believed in Santa tell their children that he exists, the percentage rises to 67% among those who continued believing in Santa after the age of eight years. The survey shows that most people stop believing in Santa at between eight and 10 years of age. But one in 20 continued be- lieving in Santa beyond the age of 10 while nearly one in four never believed he exists. Should you tell children that Santa exists? A study recently published in the respectable The Lancet Psy- chiatry journal urged parents to stop pretending Father Christ- mas is real in case the "lie" damages relations with their children. Spinning stories about Santa risks undermining a child's trust and is morally suspect, according to two experts. Social scientist Kathy McKay and psychologist Christopher Boyle also condemn the idea of a "terrifying" North Pole intel- ligence agency which judges children to be nice or naughty. "If they (parents) are capable of lying about something so special and magical, can they be relied upon to continue as the guardians of wisdom and truth?" The authors warned that the discovery of the truth by children could affect the trust that exists between child and parent. But this harsh opinion is disputed by other researchers and academ- ics who see imagination and fantasy as something to be encour- aged. Jared Durtschi, an assistant professor in Kansas State Univer- sity's marriage and family therapy programme insists that by tell- ing the truth about Santa before a child has figured it out on his or her own, parents might unintentionally lessen the excitement Majority of parents 'lie' about Santa All 58.6% 41.4% 18-34 64.1% 35.9% 35-54 61.2% 38.8% 55+ 52.7% 47.3% University 60% 40% Post-Sec 58.3% 41.7% Secondary 60% 40% Primary 45% 55% Do you tell children Santa Claus exists? YES NO And what do you want Santa Claus to get you for Christmas? Grandpa, mum asked me to tell you to snap out of it... Brand, unisex toys the top pick this Christmas Business is going strong yet again for the toy sector this December, with branded and unisex toys being among the most popular CHRISTMAS morning draws ever closer and children are getting ex- cited over what Santa Claus has in store for them. Likewise, adults are running around the island, or searching the furthest corner of the internet, looking for something to delight the little ones. The festive season has always been known to bring about a welcome wave of business for shop owners and this year is not different. Handkrafts Toy Shop director Martin Aquilina told MaltaToday that Christmas time is actually the best time of the year for his business, and that e x p e c t a - tions for sales are high. The same goes for Pierre Borg, from Mark's Toy Shop, who said that they are well stocked for the Christmas rush. "We expect sales in December to rise because we build stock for Christmas all year, preparing our shop with a great variety of toys," he said. Similarly, James Mallia, of Toy- land, said that December is always the best month for sales. "Thank God for December. Christmas brings a lot more clients to our shop," he said. However, even at Christmas time, toyshop owners feel the pinch of on- line shopping. "Our sales have been impacted so much by online shopping that it is getting out of hand," Aquilina said. Mallia explained that the reason behind the impact of online shop- ping is the vast selection it offers. "Nowadays the internet makes it easier for people to get exactly what they want. Normally, children are influenced by what they see on tel- bring about a welcome wave goes for Pierre