Children Forget Reason for the Season

A recent survey reveals that less than half of children aged seven to 11 think Christmas is about the birth of Jesus.

Some 44 per cent thought it was about Jesus, while 29 per cent said it was about thinking of other people, and 24 per cent said it was about giving rather than receiving gifts.

The survey of 1,063 children for BBC's Newsround programme found 89 per cent felt excited about Christmas and 79 per cent happy.

But Christmas was not enjoyable for all young people, it found, with some saying they felt "cold", "tired" or "worried" at this time of year.

One in six of the youngsters surveyed said they felt sad, nervous or left out during the festive season.

Newsround presenter Ellie Crisell said: "Christmas is one of the most exciting times of year for children.

"But it can also be stressful. They worry about their families getting along, about buying the right present and, amid the festivities, feeling alone.

"It's never been harder or more important to protect the true magic of Christmas."

In addition, the survey found almost two-thirds of children saved their pocket money to buy presents for other people, and they tended to spend more on their mothers than their fathers.

The average amount saved by the children for presents was £34, and a third saved more than £50.

The survey was carried out by researchers ChildWise.