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Original poster

When did Santa over take Father Christmas?

137 replies

ChesterGreySideboard · 18/12/2018 23:21

No judgement on using either but when I was little (70s) Father Christmas was the most common name and Santa was not often heard.
Now it seems to be the other way round.
I’ve heard this at the school I work in and most people on MN seem to use Santa.
Even Santa Claus seems to have gone out of fashion.

OP posts:
Hulloa · 19/12/2018 03:34

Santa Claus is the original anglicised derivation and it's one that persisted in Scotland and Ireland and America. Don't know about Wales. It's the English that broke with tradition and started calling him Father Christmas. But now they appear to be being assimilated. Haha.

knittedjest · 19/12/2018 04:48

I'm 50 and grew up in Australia until I was 14. It was always Santa there. Someone using Father Christmas unironically would probably have earned a wedgie and a real unfortunate nickname that would follow them for life.

AhoyDelBoy · 19/12/2018 04:53

It was always Father Christmas growing up in NZ in the 80s and 90s.

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icklekid · 19/12/2018 04:56

My 4 year old son told me "some people call him santa, I think he's father Christmas but other people just say Christmas" it was too complicated for 7.30pm to try and explain that one...

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 19/12/2018 04:58

North of England here. People use both. But I much prefer Father Christmas to Santa.

Christmasgone2018 · 19/12/2018 05:26

Family in Scotland use Santa. Here in SE England it’s always been Father Christmas. I agree though I hear people from my area now using the term Santa which I assume is copied from USA. It sounds contrived around here

DaisyDreaming · 19/12/2018 05:49

I much prefer Father Christmas and that was the name we used. I always assumed the use of Santa came with the popularity of Christmas films, I’ve never heard of him being called Father Christmas ones in them, even in the ones who go as far as names like Kris Kringle

Unihorn · 19/12/2018 05:54

He's Father Christmas in Wales to English speakers, or Siôn Corn in Welsh.

HopeHopity · 19/12/2018 06:06

I really can't stand the "Father Christmas" name
It makes me go ConfusedConfusedConfused
I don't know why.
Maybe because I don't want to call the big bearded man my father or anyone else who isn't my dad

HopeHopity · 19/12/2018 06:07

It also sounds so old fashion

HarrySnotter · 19/12/2018 06:20

I'm Scottish and it's always been Santa up here.

wowfudge · 19/12/2018 06:53

I'm 40s in the NW. It was always Father Christmas when we were kids, though I was aware Santa Claus was the same mythical person. Obviously, Santa is a contraction of Saint Nicholas, and continental European rather than American, although that's what the Americans have always called him afaik. Father Christmas seems to have almost disappeared in favour of Santa, which is likely down to the influence of American culture here in the UK and probably sizeable eastern European populations here?

surferjet · 19/12/2018 06:59

Father Christmas here ( England ) always was when I was growing up and my parents were from Southern Ireland.
Santa is an Americanism.
Father Christmas is classier.

candlefloozy · 19/12/2018 07:05

I still try and say Father Christmas. My dd said Santa the other day and my fil went mad for some silly reason, so I kept using that term 😝

wowfudge · 19/12/2018 07:05

Saint Nicholas wasn't mythical - what I mean is the Christmas present giving element is!

MaidenMotherCrone · 19/12/2018 07:06

How can Father Christmas possibly be pre Christian?

MsChookandtheelvesofFahFah · 19/12/2018 07:17

Santa in France is Pere Noel so I wonder if they copied our Father Christmas or we copied theirs

Fairylea · 19/12/2018 07:33

I’m nearly 40 and I say Father Christmas.

My dh who is much younger says Santa.

We spend the whole time passively aggressively correcting each other BlushGrin

FestiveNut · 19/12/2018 07:35

Fewer syllables. Four versus two.

macarenaferreiro · 19/12/2018 07:37

This comes up every year. It's regional.

He has always been Santa in Scotland. Growing up in the 70s, I only ever heard "father christmas" on tv shows and it sounded alien and archaic. On the other hand, DH who is the same age and grew up in the home counties only ever heard about "father christmas" and never Santa Claus.

Someone will claim it's americanisation though. It's not.

Original poster
ChesterGreySideboard · 19/12/2018 07:49

How can Father Christmas possibly be pre Christian?

Because Christmas, as a mid winter festival is pre Christian.

OP posts:
ShatnersWig · 19/12/2018 08:03

44, brought up Worcestershire/Gloucestershire area. Was always Father Christmas. My dad would occasionally say Santy (his dad was Irish).

dementedpixie · 19/12/2018 08:06

This same conversation comes up every year. Santa seems to be used in Scotland/Ireland and Father Christmas is used in parts of England. I'm in my mid 40s and it's always been Santa for me (I'm Scottish)

RudolfIsMySpiritAnimal · 19/12/2018 08:07

Born in the 70s in the NE and he was always Santa Claus. Think we'd have regarded anyone saying Father Christmas as a bit pretentious/up themselves!

I wonder if there's a Catholic influence at work too? Purely on the grounds that growing up in Catholic family, "Father So-and-so" would be a priest?!

Jackshouse · 19/12/2018 08:07

I thought is was a class thing. Santa = working class, Father Christmas =
Middle class.

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