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Original poster

Milk for Santa. Surely not!

130 replies

HostaCentral · 21/12/2025 12:30

On another social media platform on British traditions, so many comments suggesting leaving a carrot and a glass of milk out for Santa.

When did this become a thing? Poor Santa. He always got a glass of whiskey or brandy from us. Kept him going all night. Also no mince pie??

OP posts:
Hyperbowl · 21/12/2025 13:44

I’m in my 30s in the UK it was always milk and a mince pie or biscuits for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph. I did the same in my house when DS was small.

stargirl1701 · 21/12/2025 13:46

Only milk in the US. Definitely whiskey here in Scotland.

SleafordSods · 21/12/2025 13:47

Sadly we can no longer leave a Mince Pie for Santa as the DDog would get to it before me and I don’t want to spend the night with a poorly DDog at the Vets. So now Santa gets a glass of Port and the Reindeer (read DDog) get a 🥕

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Dorrieisalittlewitch · 21/12/2025 13:49

Santa drinks Guinness in our house (oddly enough so does Dh!).

When I was a child, it was always something alcoholic as well.

minerva7 · 21/12/2025 13:52

I’m surprised to see so many people saying alcohol is the norm!

I was brought up in Glasgow in the 70’s, and it was milk and a biscuit or mince pie for Santa, and a carrot for Rudolph. Surely too early for the big US influence on the holidays that we see now?

Not a dry household either so that wasn’t the reason.

RendeersDancingTowardsChristmas · 21/12/2025 13:52

In reality, Santa needs a joint!
Because you are not allowed to drink and drive, but nothing is said against smoking and flying...

PersephoneParlormaid · 21/12/2025 13:53

It was a Babycham when I was a kid, but milk for my kids

rainbowunicorn22 · 21/12/2025 13:55

carrot for reindeer in the morning, the ends had been nibbled
mince pie for Santa, just crumbs left behind
Whisky for Santa, a dry glass in the morning!

FeralWoman · 21/12/2025 13:56

In Australia our supermarkets are all in on the reindeer carrots. One of them has containers of free carrots after the checkouts so children can get a free carrot or two for the reindeer. They’re usually the weird knobbly carrots that would probably be rejected by the shops. The other major supermarket changes the 1kg carrot bag to being labelled as reindeer carrots with a portion of the profits going to Australian wildlife conservation.

Cece92 · 21/12/2025 13:57

It was always a whiskey in my house for Santa and my DD used to leave Santa a wee whiskey too. She’s 12 now but still wants to leave something out even though she knows , I suggested maybe a cocktail or something Santa might enjoy more 😂

MrsBucketHat · 21/12/2025 13:59

HostaCentral · 21/12/2025 12:30

On another social media platform on British traditions, so many comments suggesting leaving a carrot and a glass of milk out for Santa.

When did this become a thing? Poor Santa. He always got a glass of whiskey or brandy from us. Kept him going all night. Also no mince pie??

We don’t really drink anymore so I’m not buying whisky to chuck down the drain after the kids have gone to bed!

WarrenTofficier · 21/12/2025 14:03

RendeersDancingTowardsChristmas · 21/12/2025 13:52

In reality, Santa needs a joint!
Because you are not allowed to drink and drive, but nothing is said against smoking and flying...

Umm yeah it is. Do you seriously think a pilot can be off his head?

CarolinaInTheMorning · 21/12/2025 14:04

As a child, it was CocaCola and fruitcake or cookies. I grew up in the Southern US, so maybe it was a Southern thing. Fruitcake definitely is and Coke is a Southern (Georgia) company.

Gazelda · 21/12/2025 14:18

We rarely drink at home, so started leaving milk for Santa.

now we don’t drink milk, so have to buy a pint specially. DD is 17, but it’s a tradition we can’t change.

carrot for reindeer and a mince pie for Santa to snack on.

blankcanvas3 · 21/12/2025 14:25

Brandy in this house that DH downs the second DC go to bed

Bellaphant · 21/12/2025 14:27

Born 88 here, Santa has always had sherry or baileys!

mindutopia · 21/12/2025 14:35

This again. 😂 Not everyone drinks, you know. Some of us choose not to keep alcohol regularly in the house. Father Christmas has no complaints here and my dc don’t associate getting wasted with fun and celebration unlike in some of their friends’ homes.

Leavmealone · 21/12/2025 14:36

Santa always had milk and a mince pie. There were 2 carrots cut up to share amongst all the reindeer, (DD was particular about not leaving the others out as Rudolph always had carrots left out for him but the others didn't).

yonem · 21/12/2025 14:37

Always been brandy and a mince pie for us. Drinking a glass of milk as an adult is weird. I think milk and cookie is more popular in America where they have a strong milk lobby.

AlwaysADramaHadEnough · 21/12/2025 14:39

Always milk. Even the special plate things has the words , milk ,cookies carrot where to place the items

aintnospringchicken · 21/12/2025 14:51

When I was a wee girl ,we always left a glass of single malt whisky out for Santa and a carrot for the reindeer.

biscuitcat · 21/12/2025 14:53

I always thought milk was very American but it sounds like maybe not based on this! Growing up Father Christmas had a beer, and we now leave him a glass of red (plus a mince pie and carrots for the reindeer) - he’s a grown man flying through the night in December, he needs something stronger than milk to see him through!

awrbc81 · 21/12/2025 14:53

More and more common to leave “cookies” for Santa too rather than a mince pie/piece of Christmas cake. That’s what we did when I was a kid too.
He got some kind of alcohol and a mince pie here (DC not believers anymore)

spiderlight · 21/12/2025 14:54

It was milk when I was a child and when DS was little. He gets a small dram of whatever is open now though.

ilovepixie · 21/12/2025 14:56

Seeline · 21/12/2025 13:16

I was born in the late 60s and the only thing left out were our stockings! I don't remember any of my friends leaving food or drink either! I was very surprised when my DCs came home from school saying we had to have a carrot for Rudolph! When did this start?

I was born in 1968 and it’s always been a thing!

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