LONDON, November 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- If children ran Christmas, they would give to the poor, spend more time with their families, eat more cheese and be delighted to receive all of Simon Cowell's presents -

It will come as no surprise to hear that the nation's children are obsessed with Santa and presents. What may come as a shock is that nearly a fifth of them want to use Christmas to give gifts to the less well-off, according to a survey by leading Lapland holiday provider Santa's Lapland.

The survey asked 500 children in the UK aged six to 10 to choose their favourite part of Christmas and what they would do if they were in charge of the big day. While 59 per cent felt that receiving presents from Santa was the best bit, when asked the latter question, 18 per cent revealed a charitable side and were keen to make sure no one in the world missed out on receiving gifts this year.

The results also revealed a gender split, in that 14 percent of boys see Christmas as a chance to get presents compared with just nine percent of girls, while five times more girls than boys cited Christmas decorations as their favourite part of the celebrations.

For hard-working parents keen to spend more time with their offspring this Christmas, those aged between eight and nine were most likely to want more family time. This age group also stood out as the least present-obsessed but most interested in eating as much as they can. Food was a popular theme throughout the survey, with 12 per cent saying that it is their favourite aspect of Christmas.

The survey also revealed that snow, Santa and travelling remain high on many children's lists. Melvin Westlake, Head of Product for Santa's Lapland, comments: "It's great to see the traditional magic of Christmas is still alive for today's children. Many of these kids just want a white Christmas, to spend time with their families and hopefully meet Santa Claus himself."

When given total freedom to run Christmas as they wished, responses ranged from the touching to the wacky. Several children long for the return of loved ones ("Bring back granddad"), one young republican would "stop the Queen from making her TV speech", one switched-on child wants to "keep all of Simon Cowell's gifts", while one kid would simply "eat more cheese".

Santa's Lapland has commissioned a children's illustrator to bring some of the children's best comments to life - this artwork can be seen on their website  and their Facebook page.

About Santa's Lapland:

'Santa's Lapland' is operated by Esprit Holidays and is the UK's Number One tour operator to beautiful Saariselkä - the most northerly of Lapland's resorts, which nestles in a picturesque, unspoilt wilderness of gently rounded hills and snow-laden forests, 200kms north of the Arctic Circle.

Esprit's 30 years of experience in specialist family holidays guarantees that every detail will be taken care of, so join them for a magical visit to Santa Claus in his unforgettable Lapland home!

http://www.santaslapland.com offers online and telephone booking - details of 3 and 4 day Lapland holidays can be found on the website and in the brochure, which is available on request. Alongside details of our magical holidays, the site features a blog, travel tips, and a "Santa's Deals" section offering a grandparent bonus, early-bird discounts, and more.

For more news and offers from Santa's Lapland, visit Santa's Lapland on Facebook, follow @SantasLapland on Twitter and find inspiration for your Christmas breaks on the Santa's Lapland Pinterest account.