Santa vs father Christmas

[Blinkingheckythump]

I know it's totally unimportant and hence iabu but it really irks me that everything seems to be santa these days and not father Christmas. It was always father Christmas when I was growing up. I miss it! Why has it changed over time? I say father Christmas to the kids but they hear santa everywhere else so usually say santa themselves. Am I being unreasonable in wishing it was still father Christmas?!

Incase it needs clarifying, this is very lighthearted. I'm aware it's not really an issue

I said Father Christmas when I was growing up, but after living in Scotland I tend to say Santa or just use them interchangeably.

@DroopyClematis

Depends where you're from. Santa isn't British. Father Christmas is. Santa , derived from Saint is European catholic.

Santa is British - its the prevalent name in Scotland and NI, parts of Wales and England.

Father Christmas is predominately English.

So if anything, FC isnt British.

Father Christmas here (South Coast) - always was and always will be. It conjures up an image of a kindly, benevolent old man, whereas Santa to me is brash and tacky.

Same as ShinySquirrel, I'm working class in the South East and it's always been Father Christmas in my household

NI is part of the UK not Britain, don't want to derail the thread but this fucks me off.

My apologies. My dad's side of the family are originally from NI and my nana always referred to herself as British 🤷🏼‍♀️

@mathanxiety

I'm Irish and have always said Santa Claus.

Father Christmas always conjured up a vision of Enid Blyton's world in my head, complete with lashings of crumpets, piles of scones, clotted cream, etc.

We say FC here. I'd love it if he brought crumpets and properly filled scones

Should have said, we are NW England

I cordially dislike "Santa". He's always seemed a more cartoonish figure to me as compared to Father Christmas who is more mythic. The winter god/Allfather/Father of winter etc.
Theres just no magic in Santa to me.

Santa Clause here - generational too.

I always think Father Christmas is used by snobby English mothers who smugly sip on sherry whilst their preteen offspring Arabella and Jonathan play with simple wooden toys and get ready for careers in banking.

YANBU I HATE Santa. Its one of those pet hates about christmas.

Father Christmas here.

@ParishSpinster

Santa Clause here - generational too.

I always think Father Christmas is used by snobby English mothers who smugly sip on sherry whilst their preteen offspring Arabella and Jonathan play with simple wooden toys and get ready for careers in banking.

You couldn't have described anyone further away from this Father Christmas advocate

@NoHunGosh

In our household in Italy we have to use Father Christmas (Babbo Natale) for the fat jolly one who lives at the North Pole and brings presents on Christmas Eve using reindeer and sleigh to differentiate him from San Nicolo (Saint Nicholas/ Santa Claus) who looks like a bishop, travels by horse and brings kids presents on the morning of 6th December.

Babbo Natale should always win these contests.

Grew up in Sussex with Father Christmas (although I was never brought up to believe in him), but I do quite like Santa. Although, in my head and sometime aloud, I always re-pronounce it as 'sinterklaas' or 'Sain-ni-chlas'. I'm fun at parties.

Really don't care what my children call the non existent creation, I'm interchangeable and non-reverential. The worship goes to Jesus!

England (SE) here and say Father Christmas generally but sometimes the children say Santa and it doesn't bother me. Fairly interchangeable here!

For us it's Father Christmas as we celebrate Nikolaus on the 6th December and Santa is short for St. Nikolaus.

Unfortunately with TV, magazines and school DD moved towards Santa for Christmas.

@belimoo

I'm with you op, it's Father Christmas. Santa to me is the marketing Coca Cola version whereas Father Christmas is from my magical childhood.

I'm sure I'm wrong though and there's nothing wrong with Santa. I just have a personal reference for Father Christmas because of nostalgia.

This is a total myth. Santa comes from SinterKlaus and Father Christmas was a totally different character. I printed an excellent article for my secondary school class yesterday. I'll try and link.

I say Father Christmas as that is what I grew up with. Dh says Santa as he is Scottish as do the kids.

It's always been Santa in Scotland.

Father Christmas is for posh southerners.

It's unreasonable that I have to listen to the big man being called Father Christmas on tv all the time.

He's Santa and always has been.

@firstimemamma

I am team Father Christmas and dh team Santa. I'm not overly bothered though.

Ds' nursery on the other hand care a lot! If they hear children saying Santa they always correct them and there was lots of talk among the staff about some children 'daring to use the S word'. I honestly thought at first that they were talking about 'shit' the way they said it. We also got a letter about the Christmas party and it said 'we'll be having a visit from Father Christmas NOT SANTA!!!' it's a bit much.

Fucking ridiculous. As many others have said it's always been Santa in Scotland/ Ireland/ N England. It's a perceived MC trope, can't stand the classism.

@MajorCarolDanvers

It's always been Santa in Scotland.

Father Christmas is for posh southerners.

It's unreasonable that I have to listen to the big man being called Father Christmas on tv all the time.

He's Santa and always has been.

Yes, yes, yes- posh Southerners sums it up perfectly!

@Hospedia

NI is part of the UK not Britain, don't want to derail the thread but this fucks me off.

My apologies. My dad's side of the family are originally from NI and my nana always referred to herself as British 🤷🏼‍♀️

British is correct (for those who choose to identify as such etc etc etc), there is no UKish, the word is British. However, NI is in the UK but not in Britain (the UK being the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland).

Santa all the way here (Irish), or Santy to my lovely true blue Dub grandad who'd be over 100 now. The idea of Santy being twee did make me smile, it's incredibly not twee. That's like calling cockney rhyming slang twee.

Father Christmas here. I hate Santa, to my ears it sounds cartoonish and American and dumbed down.

Santy is definitely not twee. It's still commonly used in Dublin, especially in the less affluent areas.

Santa to me is the marketing Coca Cola version

Santa Claus (Sinterklaas, St Nicholas) as a giver of wintertime gifts dates from the middle ages. Father Christmas is a slightly more recent invention: because England in Tudor times didn't celebrate St Nicholas's day (6th December), a different character developed around the celebration of Christmas.

@firstimemamma

I am team Father Christmas and dh team Santa. I'm not overly bothered though.

Ds' nursery on the other hand care a lot! If they hear children saying Santa they always correct them and there was lots of talk among the staff about some children 'daring to use the S word'. I honestly thought at first that they were talking about 'shit' the way they said it. We also got a letter about the Christmas party and it said 'we'll be having a visit from Father Christmas NOT SANTA!!!' it's a bit much.

that's insane. They would've gotten (see what I did there? ) a snotty message from me.

@Lagomtransplant

Is this another "ooh, look at me, I'm such a wonderful example of mumsnet MC" windup?

It's your opinion. Sometimes, opinions are like farts. You really want to keep them to yourself.

Can't say it any better so I'll just quote this.