To think that only posh people say Father Christmas?!

[charliesp]

And everyone else says Santa?

I say Santa but my posh DH and all his family and posh friends say Father Christmas.

Anyone else noticed this? Or AIBU?

I'm English, not posh and I say Father Christmas. As for the poster who said "Santa feels wrong" well you shouldn't be feeling him! Rude.

If Santa was an Irish thing it makes sense that it became an American thing as so many went there. I bet it came straight from Saint (Santa) Nicholas.

we say Father Christmas except DS who is adamant he's Farmer Christmas.

Brilliant

working class and its father christmas, santa always sounds american to me

@gingergittable, are you from the south or east? I've never heard Santa being called FC up my way, only by English people.

those neighbours have been around a lot longer than the last couple of decades, when Santa started replacing FC as the norm.

It's almost as if the rest of the UK hasn't been particularly well represented in by media outlets over the past century... Scots, Northern Irish and Irish have had plenty of exposure to English media and its use of Father Christmas, but our own traditions persisted. If anything it forced us to learn to be tolerant of cultures other than our own.

It’s not xenophobic to point out that American culture heavily influences our own due to the massive amount of American tv, film and music that we consume. This is increasing ever more due to the popularity of streaming platforms. Influences from the US make up the majority of the media we consume.

But yeah ok, I’m a massive Scot hating racist.

Father Christmas because Santa is American!!

Fuck me, people really can't read, can they.

Santa is not American. It's like the "cancel the cheque!".

Yes YABU OP. Are you by chance prejudiced against "posh people"? How do you define posh? Every from the south of the UK? People who went to further education? People who earn over a certain amount?
Perhaps people who call him Santa watch a lot of American TV? Who knows?

Wait up on Christmas Eve and ask him which name he prefers. I suspect he doesn't mind.

@SquareAsABlock South.

Always Santa, occasionally Sunty. Never Father Christmas

brought up in NE England by Scots parents (now in their 70s). I'm 45.

exDH says Father Christmas. I'm teaching our kids it's Santa

Santa is not American. It's like the "cancel the cheque!".

@Pantalaimon88

He's Father Christmas here or Santa Claus. No 'Santa' on his own. That's just American tacky. "Saaandta" 🤮

That's not xenophobic?!

I'm originally from the North East, a working class family, have lived in many other countries and Father Christmas is the norm.
Santa is a cheap American import and only really comes out with the Coca Cola truck.

Cheap American import? Ughhhh some of you are just fucking dreadful. I'm out of this thread.

Father Christmas.

@Pantalaimon88, it's xenophobic to suggest anything American is tacky and wrong, especially when the case in point is that this isnt an American phenomenon, it's a non-English one. So by suggesting that saying Santa is tacky and wrong because its American is also saying all other people who have used it for centuries in their culture are also tacky and somehow brainwashed by the USA in everything they do. So telling them to calm down when quite a few group of people have been annoyed by this insinuation is rude and ignorant.

@gingergittable I don’t know who you’re quoting there but it isn’t me. Please check your quotes before making accusations. Thanks.

Fuck me, people really can't read, can they.

NOPE!

Also, the "Santa is American" people should be downright embarrassed of the ignorance they are showing about the culture of other parts of their own country.

@SquareAsABlock see above.

AhNowTed I grew up in a (working class) area in England and everyone I know from there says Father Christmas. I actually wasn’t aware that people in parts of the U.K. traditionally say Santa (and have done for some time) until reading this thread, although of course I’ve heard it many times in American films and TV shows. My guess I’d that it would be more preferred in coastal areas where the Dutch may have been more likely to be absorbed (although just a guess)? Would be interesting to investigate and compare the spread over time and influence of each.

Father Christmas here.

Father Christmas always for me

Northern girl born in the 70s and certainly not posh! I did ask for a 'Father Christmas biscuit' in Greggs and the girl very nicely corrected me & said a Santa biscuit I said no a Father Christmas one please