Children stop believing in Father Christmas by the age of eight to nine, according to a survey conducted by Associate Professor in Inclusive Education and Psychology Chris Boyle (University of Exeter), it was announced on Saturday.

Boyle, who questioned parents from various countries, including Greece, found that one out of three adults (34 pct) wish they could still believe in Father Christmas and that 15 pct felt betrayed when their parents revealed to them the naked truth, while 10 pct were “furious at them”.

According to the findings, one third (31 pct) of parents deny that Father Christmas does not exist when confronted by their children, while 40 pct admits the truth. When it comes to telling Father Christmas stories, three out of four parents (72 pct) are happy to indulge in the activity, while the rest are afraid to expose their children to myths that will one day be shattered.

Many children start figuring out there is something wrong with the story when their parents reply vaguely to their persistent questions about Father Christmas, but according to the survey 65 pct of children pretend they still believe in his existence even after they have figured out nobody will be coming down the chimney with their presents.