The Psychology of Santa

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SANTA......Page 3
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SANTA......Page 5
DEDICATION......Page 7
CONTENTS......Page 9
MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS PAST......Page 11
A-RESEARCHING WE GO…......Page 12
REFERENCES......Page 13
PREFACE......Page 15
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 17
I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS… CHRISTMAS IN WAR......Page 19
THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR (1861-1865)......Page 21
WORLD WAR I (1914-1918)......Page 24
WORLD WAR II (1939-1945)......Page 30
PATTERNS IN THE MELEE—LESSONS FROM THE PAST......Page 36
REFERENCES......Page 37
CHRISTMAS TRADITION ORIGINS......Page 39
THE DAY ITSELF......Page 40
THE CARDS......Page 44
THE CHRISTMAS MEAL......Page 46
CHRISTMAS TREES......Page 49
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS......Page 53
CHRISTMAS CAROLS......Page 56
SUPERSTITIONS......Page 57
REFERENCES......Page 59
“SO, SANTA, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD…”......Page 61
ANTICIPATION AND DRAWINGS......Page 62
GIVE AND YE SHALL RECEIVE…......Page 65
THE PSYCHOANALYSTS CHIME IN…......Page 66
O STRESSFUL NIGHT…......Page 72
THE SADDEST DAY OF THE YEAR?......Page 74
REFERENCES......Page 79
THE SANTA LETTERS......Page 83
DEAR SANTA…ANALYSES OF CHILDREN’S  LETTERS AND TOY REQUESTS......Page 85
WHERE THE SANTA LETTERS IN MY STUDY  COME FROM AND HOW THEY WERE CODED......Page 89
SOME GENERAL RESULTS......Page 91
ANALYSES OF THE LETTERS BY YEAR......Page 92
ANALYSES EXAMINING TRADITIONAL  VS. NON-TRADITIONAL LETTERS......Page 97
ANALYSES EXAMINING POLITENESS......Page 101
END NOTE......Page 104
REFERENCES......Page 105
APPENDIX A: CODING SHEET FOR SANTA LETTERS......Page 107
YES, VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS......Page 109
THE ORIGINS OF SANTA CLAUS:  THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND......Page 111
JOLLY OLD ST. NICHOLAS......Page 113
I BELIEVE…DO YOU? RESEARCH ON BELIEFS  ABOUT SANTA......Page 115
WHAT, AND WHEN, SHOULD CHILDREN BE TOLD  ABOUT \nSANTA?......Page 119
WHAT DO CURRENT CHRISTMAS  PRACTICES SAY ABOUT OUR SOCIETY?......Page 122
WHAT DOES RESEARCH SAY ABOUT OUR SOCIETY?......Page 124
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS......Page 126
REFERENCES......Page 127
INDEX......Page 131