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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:
Elfinablender · 19/12/2018 09:26

North East, born '79 and we all used Santa here.

NotCitrus · 19/12/2018 09:43

I grew up with FC, in Surrey and London. FC was derived partly from Saint Nick but also from Father Yule/midwinter figures and generally wore a long cloak to his feet and carried a long staff or crook. In victorian Christmas cards he wears blue or green as much as red.

The name Santa may not be only from America but the fat jolly red-trousered black-booted depiction with reindeer certainly is.
I suspect Santa sounds more secular for schools that have lots of non-Christmas-celebrating children. And I sometimes type Santa as its shorter than FC.

katseyes7 · 19/12/2018 09:55

l'm 60 and from the north of England. lt was always Santa and still is.

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Christmas Events & celebrations
MollyHuaCha · 19/12/2018 10:01

Father Christmas here.

LowbrowVictoriana · 19/12/2018 10:04

Born in in the 60's in Scotland. He was always Santa Claus. Its really not American! Father Christmas sounded weird and formal to me then, though we only ever heard it on telly.
My DC had both as I married a (posh) Englishman!

thegreylady · 19/12/2018 10:05

I am in my 70s and grew up in the North East. It was always Santa or ‘Santy’. Father Christmas was in books about posh children. After all Saint Nicholas is the original ,although I believe there were pagan ‘Winter’ figures long before Christianity.

SparkyBlue · 19/12/2018 10:28

I am Irish and in my 40s and it's always been Santa Claus or Santy. I did notice yesterday that the cbeebies presenters were saying Father Christmas and it sounded strange to me.

spidey66 · 19/12/2018 10:55

It was Father Christmas for me (Londoner, early 50s)

ShadyLady53 · 19/12/2018 10:59

Santa isn’t exactly secular!

Santa translates as saint. Claus = Nicholas.

halcyondays · 19/12/2018 11:00

Always been Santa here in NI, never Father Christmas.

HopeHopity · 19/12/2018 11:04

Father Christmas is classier.
Grin
I think I might have just discovered why I hate hearing it then

kaytee87 · 19/12/2018 11:05

Always been Santa / Santa Claus here in Scotland

lettuceWrap · 19/12/2018 11:09

It was always Santa where I grew up (70’s) Scotland.

KaraokeKink · 19/12/2018 11:13

I suspect Santa sounds more secular for schools that have lots of non-Christmas-celebrating children.

That makes no sense, as 'Santa Claus' is an anglicisation of 'Sinterklaas'/'Sint-Nicolaas'/'Saint Nicolas'. 'Father Christmas' is a much more secular figure, a personification of festive good cheer.

TisTheSeasonForPigsInBlankets · 19/12/2018 11:34

I've always used Father Christmas (mid twenties now) but ds has started using Santa more and more and it seems to be on most things associated with Christmas so is becoming the norm in our house

TheFuckfaceWhisperer · 19/12/2018 11:39

On a similar note...do you say/write merry Christmas or happy Christmas?

haggisaggis · 19/12/2018 11:45

I think it is fair to say that although Scots/ Irish use Santa Claus - and that was what was taken to America - in places where "Father Christmas" was more common the change to Santa or Santa Claus IS probably owing to American influence from Film / TV etc. It is not denying the fact that the terms originated in Scotland / Ireland / Europe before being taken to US.

bigKiteFlying · 19/12/2018 11:58

I'm same midlands - always Father Christmas morphed with time to now usually Santa.

I think Father Christmas is English - I think it came in with English reformation - another name for St Nick. Obviously they were trying to get away from saints at the time.

Watched something last night about this - on you tube one of the more historical/fact bases sites - they said Kris Kringle was same thing protestant reformer Luther trying to rename catholic Saint Nicholas. Went into myth and history of Saint Nicholas as well.

Then someone in USA decide to Americanise Kris Kringle name, which they said was mainly associated with the Dutch - and we got Santa Claus - which is now usually Santa.

AllYeFaithful · 19/12/2018 12:00

I’m in my 40s, a Londoner and it was definitely Father Christmas when I was a kid. Nobody I knew used Santa, although my Irish dad said Santy.

bigKiteFlying · 19/12/2018 12:07

Did a quick google to Wikipedia and while some of the what I saw on you tube channel is in there - not everything is including the Americanisation of name bit - they seem to think it comes from Sinterklaas the traditional Netherlands and Belgium St Nick figure.

KittensAndChristmasCake · 19/12/2018 12:29

Santa or Santa Claus IS probably owing to American influence from Film / TV etc. It is not denying the fact that the terms originated in Scotland / Ireland / Europe before being taken to US.

^ This
I know the Scottish and Irish call him Santa but in England I do believe the increasing use of Santa is from America. It's like 'films' being taken over by 'movies' grrr, drives me mad 😡
Team Father Christmas all the way 🎅🏼

SixButterflies · 19/12/2018 12:33

Definitely Father Christmas. Santa makes me cringe.
And to those who say Father Christmas sounds posh: good!

amusedbush · 19/12/2018 12:44

Another Scot here and it has always been Santa.

I've never heard anyone say Father Christmas in real life and if I did I'd assume they were trying to be posh Grin

chemenger · 19/12/2018 13:00

This thread comes up every year, nothing wrong with that, but it goes the same way every year too.

  1. Someone English says they wonder when people started using Santa out of genuine curiosity.
  2. Lots of Scottish and Irish people say they've always said Santa.
  3. People start with the Americanism thing (just like Halloween), stating boldly that he has always been called Father Christmas everywhere.
  4. People explain the origin of the two names (often with very interesting detail).
  5. About page 5 someone says it is a class thing and implies that Santa is common.
  6. Someone says they think its common too and they are proud to use the posh version.
  7. Reasonable English people suggest that the change IN ENGLAND is due to the influence of american culture but acknowledge that other parts of the Uk are different.
  8. Scottish people take offence at 6 & 7 above, because they have already explained that it is a culture thing not a class thing and yet they are being called common by people who don't read the whole thread.
  9. The SNP call another independence referendum, the DUP sever relations with the Tories, we have a no deal brexit.
I hope this makes things clear.
foxtiger · 19/12/2018 13:01

I'm 52 and my parents and teachers always said Father Christmas, but I think I'd heard of Santa, certainly by the time I was in my teens. When my DC were little I found it surprising that my in-laws referred to Santa when talking to them, as they're even older than my own parents. But they're from a region that has been mentioned here as tending to use Santa, so it makes more sense now.

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