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?

Father christmas. Not posh or even slightly middle class.

DC say Santa and I hate it! They say it now just to wind me up...

Santa was the American term so we always used Father Christmas. I think we still are but must ask my daughter whether they visited santa or FC.

Only one stealth boast as far as I can see.

Does it not have pagan origins ? Saint nicholas - Sint-Nicolaas - Sinterklass - Santa Claus who has been named the father of Christmas. Pretty sure it's not an Americanism to say Santa.
I looked it up recently as the kids are doing something at school tomorrow for St Nicholas day and I love the origins of traditions, words etc.
Not sure it's just posh people who say Father Christmas a lot of people say both and neither one is correct or incorrect.

Interchangeably santa and father Christmas

I’m not posh but Santa is American to us (not saying it originated there, just the American people/films/tv use it) and he’s Father Christmas here in our house

Only English people say Father Christmas. I learned this as a child reading Enid Blyton.

YABVU. I don’t know anyone in the UK who says “Santa”. It’s very American.

Father Christmas is very much the norm.

I thought Santa was an american thing mostly, I always say Father Christmas.

Working class - Father Christmas. YABU.

Ffs it may not be a new thing in Scotland or Ireland but it is in England and therefore it feels sad to hear the kids calling Father Christmas ‘Santa’ which is blatantly influenced by American culture. That isn’t WHY it’s sad, we don’t all hate Americans, it’s just we all have our Christmas traditions that we like and it feels weird when they change!

Always Father Christmas as that is what everyone used when I was growing up. Santa definitely more of an American thing and like Halloween it has got more popular as we all watch more American TV, films and listen to Christmas songs sung by American artists. My kids use both - often mixing them up - Santa Christmas a favourite

Father Christmas here. Actually I don't know anyone who says Santa...not posh...

Around here it's mostly the over-forties who say Father Christmas and the under-forties who say Santa Claus/ Santa. Obviously some who do differently in both groups but as far as I can see it's nothing to do with social class.

It's definitely Father Christmas! I'm 70 and I didn't even hear the word Santa until I was about 10!

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

I wish people would piss off with the 'Santa is American' crap! I'm Scottish and it's always been Santa to me and everyone I know

I'm Scottish and would say Santa, I don't know anyone Scottish who wouldn't. My gran was Irish and would sometimes call him Santy. My mum is English and says she called him Father Christmas growing up but went with Santa up here because it's the norm, rather than being because anyone would care.

It's only English people who I see getting their knickers in a bunch about the Santa/FC thing.

Agree with prev Scottish posters - I always assumed FC was an English/ Welsh thing, and Santa Claus was a more global thing.
St Nicholas is the patron saint of fishermen and consequently Aberdeen.

Some interesting theories here
www.quora.com/Why-do-English-people-say-Father-Christmas-but-Scottish-people-say-Santa-Claus

I say Father Christmas as that's how my mother and nana referred to him when I was growing up. This is a mining family from the valleys so not exactly posh. Think it can be a generational thing more than a class thing. Santa's fine I suppose but the demise of FC is kind of sad imo

Pssst He is NOT real.

Father Christmas here as it sounds more special than Santa.

The DC both say FC, too and one of them used the f-bomb in a conversation with DH this week so definitely not posh.

Father christmas here and we are not posh at all. It was Father Christmas growing up for me too and I had a very poor childhood.

I don’t know anyone in the UK who says “Santa”. It’s very American

You don't know anyone in Scotland or Northern Ireland then?

For the nth time, it's always been Santa in some parts of the UK, and in Ireland.

Or did you think that the UK = England or England &Wales? Which is not uncommon on here.

For example, inWashington Irving'sHistory of New York(1809),Sinterklaaswas Americanized into "Santa Claus" (a name first used in the American press in 1773)[