It's the time of year for that most festive of holiday traditions: lying to your children.
As a country, we expend a huge amount of energy convincing our kids of the existence of Santa. In one survey, 84 percent of parents said they had taken their child to visit more than two Santas that year. Taxpayer money even goes into the effort. The U.S. Postal Service helps parents provide replies to children's letters to Santa complete with a North Pole postmark.
With all this work, it's no wonder that 85 percent of 5-years-olds think Santa Claus is real, according to research by Jacqueline D. Wooley, a psychologist at the University of Michigan.
