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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Father Christmas is yet another bloody sexist concept

117 replies

chocdog · 12/12/2017 10:12

Just been spending loads of time and effort on the school Christmas fair. Every single person involved since September doing all the hard work and very complex organisation has been female. Then on the day, two dads rock up to do the fun stuff - being Father Christmas. They are the stars of the show getting the glory and enjoying jolly bantz with the kids and massive thanks from the adults.

Why do we go along with this?

All the religions work like this too (as shown by the thread on religions that's running at the moment). We can't change the religions but couldn't we have a Mother Christmas alternative to Father Christmas? Not as his bloody helpmate but as a proper standalone alternative. AIBU?

OP posts:
Allwashedup · 12/12/2017 10:16
Hmm
UnderslungBowlingBall · 12/12/2017 10:18

Popcorn anyone?

araiwa · 12/12/2017 10:19

Lol

grannytomine · 12/12/2017 10:19

Dads did lots of the hard work when my kids were at school, no one got to swan in at the end and take the glory.

Bumdishcloths · 12/12/2017 10:19

YABU

GF

WindyWindy · 12/12/2017 10:22

Stop volunteering.

AssassinatedBeauty · 12/12/2017 10:22

You don't have to go along with it. Why not suggest an alternative to Santa who is female, maybe Elsa from Frozen or similar? They can do the same thing alongside FC next time. Also, don't help out with the Christmas fair if you resent it.

Personally I'd hate to do the Father Christmas job, it's exceptionally repetitive and I don't like other people! Do they really get a lot of "glory" for doing it? Doesn't the head of the PTA also get a lot of thanks/glory for organising the fair?

LemonShark · 12/12/2017 10:23

What's stopping you from having a woman play Santa?

Chocolate254 · 12/12/2017 10:26

Yabu

Coconutspongexo · 12/12/2017 10:28

Oh for fuck sake.

HRTpatch · 12/12/2017 10:30

Oh get over yourself

Coconutspongexo · 12/12/2017 10:30

I’m going to bite actually and tell you to maybe educate yourself on who ‘Father Christmas’ is based on you know St Nick a real man?

grannytomine · 12/12/2017 10:33

Thinking about it how do they get any glory for doing it? The kids don't know who it is, they think it is Father Christmas.

JaneyGotAGun · 12/12/2017 10:36

Yabu

TrinitySquirrel · 12/12/2017 10:38

Maybe tell your lazy gits of partners to get off their arses and be proactive like the rest of us do.

Why just sit and whinge about it?

PandasRock · 12/12/2017 10:43

I agree it's annoying.

Of course, Father Christmas is a man, based on St Nicholas etc etc. But the whitewashing out of any female involvement is irritating.

There no reason why FC can't (and usually doesn't, ime, and I've seen a lot of FCs over the years wit's 3 dc) chat about the good work Mother Christmas does (and not just the baking in the kitchen, fgs!)

It seems to mirror what goes on in a lot of houses (mine included) - mums run themselves ragged getting everything sorted (food, home, decorations, presents) and dad shows up for the unwrapping and enjoys the warm fuzzy moments. Last year in particular stbx really took the piss, and rooted through youngest dc's stocking on the way past (going for breakfast, we do stockings afterwards) for the one item I had gone to considerable trouble to hunt down, just so he could be the one to experience the joyous reaction when dc realised they'd got what they really wished for.

innagazing · 12/12/2017 10:44

I'll join you in some popcorn Underslung.
Shall I make the coffee?

PandasRock · 12/12/2017 10:47

There does also seem to be a slightly different tone taken at my dc's school wrt the dads who volunteer to be FC, and the mums who set up the whole grotto etc.

It is very much taken for granted that the mums will step up and do it (and the transformation is amazing, each year, involving much gathering of items, labelling each one so it can be returned, organsigin and sorting all the loaned items, and completely transforming the theatre - it is genuinely unrecognisable), whereas there is always much gushing and reverential tones when talking about the dads who volunteer. Almost as though they are more amazing for doing this, as of course no one expects them to, etc etc

AsMenDclaredWomenTheirInferior · 12/12/2017 10:47

Men like to act in dramas of their own making and play all the lead roles.
I have a great cartoon on this, it's a pity I can't upload it on here Xmas Sad
Bah humbug!!!

WitchesHatRim · 12/12/2017 10:48

OK.......... 🙄

eatshitexwife · 12/12/2017 10:48

Dear lord 🙄

Blahblahblahzeeblah · 12/12/2017 10:49

Father Christmas is based on a real person, Saint Nicholas, who was a man.

Morphene · 12/12/2017 10:50

YANBU, of course its a sexist concept emerging from the patriarchy.

Its total BS for many other reasons too...not least that is drums into children the whole be good and you will be rewarded mantra that the real world steadfastly refuses to abide by and which leads to outrages levels of entitled behaviour and lack of empathy for those in society who struggle.

Ditch the whole fecking thing.

eastlondoner · 12/12/2017 10:52

Oh FFS!

Eolian · 12/12/2017 10:53

The Father Christmas thing is irrelevant, unless you actually think that everyone believes that the FC men get the credit for setting up and organising the event (why would they?!).
The fact that all the work for the event is done by women is not irrelevant however. I'm surprised it's all women though. The PTA I was in had quite a few men. My dad was in the PTA when I was at school in the 80s and so were quite a few other dads.