Christmas spirit helps parents save money, study shows

By Albert Otti Dec 15, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Vienna - No matter whether children believe that Santa Claus, Baby Jesus or the Three Kings bring them their Christmas gifts, it is the parents who usually foot the bill.

But there is good news for those who think of dwindling bank accounts rather than Jingle Bells at this time of year: Scholars in Austria have found that the more that children believe in the concept of Christmas, the more modest they are about their wish lists.

Marketing experts at the University of Klagenfurt collected 250 such lists and calculated that each child wanted presents worth 211 euros (278 dollars) on average.

Martin Waiguny, the head of the research project, said there was a noticeable difference between those children who drew Christmas trees or other seasonal symbols on their letters, and those who did not.

'The more important the holiday is to children, the less wishes they express,' he said, after having analyzed the lists that were collected from parents last year.

One was written by a boy named Timo, aged around 8, who drew a green fir tree and yellow stars on a blue sheet of paper and wrote in wiggly letters:

'Dear Baby Jesus, I want to get from you the Sharp Shooter helicopter from AIR HOGS, the remote-controlled car Ricochet from Tonka Garage, winter boots and a schoolbag. Yours, Timo - I promise you to be good all the time.'

Lena, a girl of the same age, did not bother to address Baby Jesus, who is traditionally believed to bring Christmas gifts in Austria.

Instead, she drew up a kind of shopping list that started with the words 'I want:' and consisted of seven names and drawings of brand-name toys including a game station and a dollhouse.

What all children had in common was a strong preference for certain brands even at a young age: Among the desired presents, 67 per cent were electronics by certain makers, and 50 per cent were brand-name dolls. The children were less picky about sweets, sport equipment or handicraft materials.

'The branded wishes appear at the top of the lists,' Waiguny said. 'Some also wrote down the prices.'