Why is everyone referring to "Santa"

[WinWinnieTheWay]

DH and I (from different UK countries and different social class) were both brought up with Father Christmas. Why are so many people calling FC "Santa" these days? Is it just the impact of American culture? Each to their own, but I don't like it.

Quite so, and the branding of English people as "snobby" if they're using their local term and mocking pronunciations ('fathah'hmm) is pretty unedifying

I don't think it's common or garden English people who say "Father Christmas" that are being mocked; rather, it's those who are actually being snobby, claiming their way is the correct way and others' traditions are wrong, unpleasant or American imports (when they're not.)

See also any thread where pronunciation is discussed and the proclamations of correctness from certain quarters.

Absolutely tolerance works both ways. But when you hear on here naughty child name Irish name, haitch is WRONG, don’t dare give your child an Irish name because it’s hard to spell, oh ha ha ha American Halloween why don’t you just do bonfire night - well duh - it gets a bit annoying.

‘...children in nurseries having suppah ‘ - why do some MNers love turning everything into a class issue?

If anything, it’s a regional thing.
Would anyone think of sneering at the French for calling him Father Christmas (Pere Noel)?

Yes, you see, if people mock the fathah, suppah, etc pronunciation, it is seen to be an inferiority complex. Because the regional pronunciations are considered to be inferior by some people. So, that's why I do find it incredibly silly that any reasonable person would be offended at people gently mocking that pronunciation. I mean, different if people have been truly offensive. I haven't seen it. Bit much to have an op say "this is the upper class thing, which is what I do", then we lower class people agree that is the image people seek to portray if they contrive to say FC when it maybe doesn't come naturally, and do so in a gently mocking way and then other people, it's terribly offensive and unedifying - NAUGHTY lower classes. Back in your box . Do you see how it might come across?

Not just saying FC by they way, as I know plenty of lower class folk do say it naturally, but just the whole "FC is what posh people say. Santa is for commoners and Americans" argument, which comes up on these threads annually.

@Steroidsandantidepressants

I'm team Haitch all the way!

And it doesn't offend me that people think my accent is inferior because it's a strong Belfast one. It doesn't offend me that people think me saying Santa marks me out as lower class. But when people say that...they are kind of fair game for a gentle piss take. If they disagree and clutch their pearls over that it makes them even more comical really. I don't make the rules, that is just the way it is.

Again, not all people who say FC, just the ones who use this argument about it being an indicator of class and therefore superiority. I mean...how anyone doesn't find that funny is beyond me.

@speakout

Steroidsandantidepressants

Exactly. Another scot here-my grandmother would have been 128 year lol- always talked of Santa- I too am Scottish.

Santa was exported from Ireland and Scotland to America by settlers.

I don't think it was - Halloween does (which is another MN 'Ameican import' horror)

"Santa" comes from the Dutch for Saint Nicolas. While it's certainly Santa or Santy in Ireland the actual Irish translates to Daddy Christmas - so "Santa" can't originate from that.

Father Christmas when I was young in the forties. I also remember in the eighties ,when I was a teacher, the Asian children being so excited by the appearance of “daddy Christmas”at the school party. I still say FC but Santa is okay. Doesn’t matter at all.

It’s interesting that the rudest and most personal attacking posts are from those who prefer Santa. As usual it’s de rigueur on here to abuse the English and the middle class.

@MyPersona

It’s interesting that the rudest and most personal attacking posts are from those who prefer Santa. As usual it’s de rigueur on here to abuse the English and the middle class.

I mean...I've seen gentle mockery at worst. And considering the whole op said that it was lower class to say Santa (which is common to UK countries other than England), that was sort of inevitable.

Op: ugh the lower classes say this thing isn't it just HORRID?

Lower classes: haha how silly, I mean, you aren't our cup of tea either

Upper classes: How DARE you? That is SO OFFENSIVE!!!

Lower classes: snigger

If you are from Europe St Nikolaus (Santa) comes on the 6th of December and fills children's boots with sweets and small gifts. The gifts and sweets are brought during the night.
That's santa finished for the year.
So depending on where you live it is Father Christmas or the Christchild or Father Frost or a Christmas Angel etc who brings the presents on the 24th.
Also they come through the window as most people don't have an open fire.
The Santa dressed in red clothes etc is the result of a coca cola ad.

The Santa dressed in red clothes etc is the result of a coca cola ad.

That’s a little bit of a myth. No doubt the Coca-Cola marketing cemented the image in popular culture but there are English Victorian images of Santa in red from the 1860s; Coke was only invented in the 1880s and started using the Santa images in the 1930s.

Don't most people pronounce their DF 'dad' nowadays?

@MyPersona

It’s interesting that the rudest and most personal attacking posts are from those who prefer Santa. As usual it’s de rigueur on here to abuse the English and the middle class.

That's sarcasm, isn't it? It has to be.

My family have always used both interchangeably - I remember my gps using both.

Isn't Santa Scottish anyway? It's not an American import- not sure why that matters anyway.

The Yule gnome pictures I came across when looking into that delightful personification upthread seem to have a red hat and green coat so maybe the red started from there and worked down?

Awk, we as a nation are mocked for our words, our behaviour, traits and typical class habits all the time, we mock them ourselves. It's a great quality to be able to laugh at oneself!

@ErrolTheDragon

Don't most people pronounce their DF 'dad' nowadays?

Ma and Da in my childhood home !

Sometimes Mammy and Daddy

We use both and always have done

@WinWinnieTheWay

DH and I (from different UK countries and different social class) were both brought up with Father Christmas. Why are so many people calling FC "Santa" these days? Is it just the impact of American culture? Each to their own, but I don't like it.

Yay!

I was wondering how long we'd have to wait for the annual ignorant-fest of "Santa is American" thread to pop up!

Hope you've had your ignorant arse thoroughly handed to you OP.

As usual it’s de rigueur on here to abuse the English and the middle class.

I think it's de rigueur on here to abuse the Americans.