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?

@gingergittable I just PM'd you now, but not previously.

There are another 400 posts to go before this thread is full. Suggest that some of you should walk away for the sake of your blood pressure
It’s getting quite funny now I think.

The thing is for something like this people aren’t going to read the whole thread, they’re going to see the OP, which says everyone says Santa, and then loads of non posh English (and Welsh ) people just quickly write ‘no, we always say Father Christmas, Santa is American’

It’s the way the OP is phrased. I think if it just said ‘what name do you use’ it wouldn’t be as bad. (I’m sure you’d still get the anti American brigade, but that’s by the by on here sometimes)

I still don’t get why it’s “Anti “ anything though ?
Surely it’s just down to what you personally say rather than being anti -American, English , Scottish or norwegian ?

I’m talking about the sneery posts, just saying it isn’t anti anything but there are definitely some anti comments throughout this thread. Most aren’t though, just stating what they personally say

Of course no one can know everything and we all have gaps in our knowledge. But this kind of complete ignorance of customs, language etc from other parts of the UK comes up so often that it's symptomatic of a wider problem. Surely it's not hard to understand why Scottish and Irish /Northern Irish posters get pissed off at these threads happening again and again and again, and I never see the reverse.

Similarly, must be pretty shitty for any American members reading "American" used as an insult, a synonym for tacky. And again, that happens all the bloody time.

Some might say it's fitting that the Scottish and Irish have adopted a term based on European culture, while the English...haven't.

It is funny. Comedy gold! Thank you to all the “unusual” posters.

Surely it's not hard to understand why Scottish and Irish /Northern Irish posters get pissed off at these threads happening again and again and again, and I never see the reverse ironically a welsh poster just posted that they’re always forgotten when Scottish and Irish people talk about things English people do.

It’s frustrating to constantly hear how self absorbed and arrogant you are, simply by virtue of not knowing something.

So, we’ve gone through the etymology of ‘Santa’ with a fine tooth comb, but where does the term ‘father Christmas’ come from then I wonder? (I know it’s obviously from Christmas, but why Father?)
I wonder where it was first used.

I’m as common as muck and say “Father Christmas.”. Santa seems very forced to me.

There is some information here taking "father christmas" back to pagan festivals. However i wouldn't necessarily trust it as a source as it talks about father christmas being the "British" name for Santa (think we've already established that one's not true).

www.timetravel-britain.com/articles/christmas/santa.shtml

Oh and the "coca cola made Santa Claus red" - not true. St Nicholas / Sinter Klass / Santa Claus wears red and white because the original St Nick was a bishop, and bishops wear red and white.

@MindyStClaire

Similarly, must be pretty shitty for any American members reading "American" used as an insult, a synonym for tacky. And again, that happens all the bloody time.

Thank you for saying this. I've been on here for almost two years now and generally really enjoy it but the pervasive anti-Americanism has really been shit. I think it says as much about British culture as it does American culture.

LimitIsUp

@Windyone - I’ve been here 17 years, I do as I please wink

Huh? She asked @CallmeAngelina

Santa seems very forced to me.

🤣🤣 Wtf does this even mean!

Father Christmas is English, Santa is American

Father Christmas is English, Santa is American

Stop repeating the same shite over and over

@fairynick just stop it.

This is a perfect example of why you should RTFT before posting. If you can’t be bothered then don’t post!

PineappleDanish
Oh wow, that’s really interesting! So Santa and Father Christmas came from completely different origins.

I find it fascinating hearing about our pagan traditions, I think the invasions and introduction of Christianity means so much of them are unknown, or swallowed up into Christian teaching.
It’s probably because of the fact that these invasions were less successful in Scotland and Ireland that traditions such as these are more well known there. I find it fascinating

Father Christmas is English Surely if he lives in Lapland he's Finnish?

I blame Kevin bloody Wilson.

I think that this idea of a kindly older man giving gifts is probably so ancient that we'll never know its true origin. The Christians did hijack a lot of pagan celebrations for their own ends so it stands to reason that when St Nicholas came along in the dark ages the two stories got muddled.

We're from working class families and we say Father Christmas. Santa sounds too American to me; DS is a baby, but I'll be encouraging him to say Father Christmas!

@VestaTilley are you seriously kidding me? Are posters just being deliberately goady now?

Similarly, must be pretty shitty for any American members reading "American" used as an insult, a synonym for tacky. And again, that happens all the bloody time.

It really is. I'm soon to be an American and my ds and dh are and it's actually really hurts me that some British people are so unpleasant about America and Americans.

Although when I say British, I only ever really hear it from the English.

Saint Nicholas didn't start out as a giver of gifts - he was a protector and essentially a protector of children and also well known as a protector within the sailing/fishing community.
The Americans in the 1800's created the Christmas eve arrival of 'Santa' whereas it was the 6th of December beforehand - and items were left for him on the doorstep on the 6th.

It is interesting to see how we have all taken the traditions on.