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Father Christmas all the way =D

But thats because I got taught that really.

But now hear everyone calling him Santa, so call him that, because I don't want to be singled out

It'll always be Father C on the inside

As one who has donned the whiskers and red and white for many years, I'm fascinated by this chap.

St Nicholas is the true origin, via various translations through Europe and early American immigrants, the name developed from Sint Niklaus to Sint Herr Klaus to Santa Claus. Father Christmas is an old English tradition, he was just a minor character in the old Medieval Mummers plays and only there to represent the general winter season rather than anything else. The whole idea is a fascinating mix of traditions and legends, the winter god Odin used to ride across the heavens in his chariot pulled by flying horses - not hard to see where the sleigh and reindeer idea came from. In the famous 'The Visit of Saint Nicholas' (aka The night before Christmas) Dr.Clement Clarke Moore was the first to describe him as a jolly old elf and to name those eight tiny reindeer. Dr.Moore was a Jewish scholar who became famous for that poem which he wrote to amuse his kids on December 23rd 1822 - one aspect of the Christian Christmas which is definitely Jewish!

St.Nicholas is not only the patron saint of children he's also the patron saint of Russia and Sailors. Before he became Bishop of Myra in ancient Turkey, he did the charitable thing when he dropped money through the smoke hole in the roof of the house of a very poor family. This became the Santa down the chimney idea, the money landed near the fire where the girl's stockings were hanging up to dry overnight, i.e. the stocking filled with gifts idea. Without that money the daughters would have gone into prostitution as that was what happened in those days so he's also the patron saint of prostitutes. There's another legend about him which is less festive - apparently a wicked innkeeper had hired two boys to work in his tavern doing all the hard work and when they asked for payment, he killed them, chopped their bodies into pieces and hid them in a vat of beer. St.Nick heard about this and miraculously resurrected both boys but I'm wondering if references to beer having 'body' is quite as innocent as it seems! We probably all know by now that until those famous advertisements showing Santa in Coca Cola colours, he was more often depicted in green and brown costumes. Ho, ho, ho - Merry Christmas!!!

mmm very interesting Mandrake.

I also heard a story that Father Christmas comes from the old Saxon or Celtic (can't remember which) pagan god Father Winter. Who'd come around at mid-winter and take away the naughty children. I guess that in those days lots of children would die in the winter so Father Winter got the blame.

Interesting too about the body and the vat of beer, I know that there used to be an old beer called c**k Ale where they'd put a chicken in the beer when it was fermenting, the yeast would eat the chicken and give the beer more flavour.

bronz wrote:Most of the year I call him Dad.

You may joke but I was born exactly 9 months after christmas day, my dad swears he was decorating the upstairs bedroom the day in question, I have a big belly and at times a beard.
Hmmmmm was my mum goosed by Father Christmas in the winter of '75? The case remains open

Sometime in the early/mid 1990s my ex made me a wonderful Father Christmas outfit based on one of those novel Victorian Tree Topper "Santa" figures sold here in the states. I've since started a holiday season hobby of collecting such figures... everything other than the typical Macy's or Coke-a-Cola styled Santa. Though I can appreciate these bits of Americana I much prefer the more Nordic and Shamanic idea as to who the Santa character represents... no, not some old Catholic priest but the God Odin/Woton; his reindeer representing the 8 holidays of the pagan year being drawn through the sky, etc.

(sadly, I can't find my photos of that old outfit... I had some wonderful shots done a few years ago in a real Victorian mansion set to traditional 19th century Yule Tide decor... it was priceless!)