I just discovered this book, The Psychology of Santa, this morning watching the local news here in Branson, Missouri.  Dr. Carole Slotterback analyzed 1,200 letters from children to Santa.  What she found was quite amazing.  The majority of kids don’t ask for toys from Santa as much as they ask for more family time with mom and dad!

Here’s an excerpt from the back of the book:

“The Psychology of Santa” examines decades of psychological research, as well as studies in sociology, communication, history, and advertising, all of which deal with Christmas. The book examines what research can reveal to us about how psychologists and others view these customs and what they represent to our culture. A number of aspects of Christmas are explored, and this book offers an intriguing interpretation of our lives and customs. Topics covered in this title include how Christmas is celebrated during wars, a history of selected customs and whether families today still engage in them, how different traditions of psychologists view Christmas, Christmas and stress, Christmas and depression and suicide, children’s letters to Santa Claus, and children’s beliefs in Santa and how they change with age.

But what I found most interesting was that the biggest priority for children was to spend more time with their family!  It’s not the hottest and latest toy, but rather what truly matters in life, time with family.

What’s on your Christmas list this year? Let us know below…