Letters From The Loft

THE THORNTON INSTITUTE CHRISTMAS WHITE PAPER 2010

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Welcome ot the 2010 edition of the Thornton Institute Christmas White Paper.

We know that every year, the White Paper has some first-time readers. In fact, our surveys indicate that the audience for each successive White Paper consists entirely of first-time readers. By "first time", of course, we mean readers who are experiencing the White Paper for the first time, not those who are reading for the first time (they only constitute about 45% of our audience.) We currently have a research team investigating the lack of repeat readership, and the results will be published right after their paper on self-esteem issues.

Anyway, for the new folks: the Thornton Institute is non-profit think tank that continually studies the phenomenon of the holiday season in American culture. Every year, in 12 month intervals, the Institute publishes its annual Holiday White Paper, which annually reports on a yearly basis the results of that year's study of some aspect of the once-a-year holiday season. All proceeds are donated to the Center for the Remedy and Cure of Redundancy and Reiteration.

Retail stores must generate megawatts of Christmas spirit, judging by the multitudes who continue to brave traffic, weather, crowds, and lines in order to bask in commercial holiday glow. Though shopping isn't mentioned conspicuously in the four Gospels, we're sure it's in there someplace, and the Thornton Institute currently has a crack team of researchers combing the Dead Sea Scrolls for as yet undiscovered references to revolving credit and layaway. Until we hear from them, we have a report from TI's resident retail analyst, who calls upon his many years in the industry to give you a behind-the-sales-counter perspective on the Christmas.

Then we'll switch to the domestic front, as we hear from an embedded TI correspondent about how his average American family handles the holiday season at home.

We'll warn you in advance that the Thornton Institute and its correspondents cannot ignore the opportunity that the Christmas holiday affords to mention that it's a time set aside to honor You-Know-Who. And if you-DON'T-know-Who, there's a link to a message from my church, or you can always click on the "Testimony" link above.

Click the links below to access the studies. And Merry Christmas from everyone here at the Thornton Institute.

Christmas Confidential: The Holidays From Behind The Register

Random Acts of Christmas: A Family's Christmas Report

From Grace Community Church: The True Meaning of Christmas