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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is using "Father Christmas" vs "Santa" a class signifier?

378 replies

Flapjacker48 · 25/12/2021 09:22

Upper/upper middle - use "Father Christmas"

Working/lower middle - "Santa"

The "Santa" we use in the UK today is almost an original European export to American and has come back as a tackier and vulgar Santa.

OP posts:
Hont1986 · 25/12/2021 09:24

Yes, probably.

What's your AIBU?

Pigeoninthehouse · 25/12/2021 09:25

Grew up saying father Christmas, from working class background
Santa American import.

GreetingsAndSalutations · 25/12/2021 09:25

The obsession (some) people on MN have with class boggles my mind.

FYI I use both Santa and FC so I am clearly having an identity crisis or something.

mycatisannoying · 25/12/2021 09:26

Working class background here and we used Santa. BUT we're Scottish, and I always considered Father Christmas to be more of an English thing!

Bilingualspingual · 25/12/2021 09:26

I’m Scottish and grew up with Santa, never F C and I’m pretty posh.

mycatisannoying · 25/12/2021 09:27

Snap!

dementedpixie · 25/12/2021 09:28

Always Santa in Scotland
Are you saying we're lower class?

MarshmallowFondant · 25/12/2021 09:28

No. It's a regional thing. Nobody in Scotland, Ireland or NE England would say Father Christmas.

We have this thread every year and it just shows up the ignorance of some posters about the country they live in.

Mumoblue · 25/12/2021 09:28

No, it’s not. I said Father Christmas growing up, and only really started saying Santa after I lived in Scotland for a bit. Now I use them interchangeably.

Marmite27 · 25/12/2021 09:28

We’re as working class as they come (dad was a miner) and he was always Father Christmas.

I think we must have some long forgotten Germanic/Scandi roots in our family because we have ‘family’ traditions that were always seen as weird when I was small, but come from those counties when I’ve read about different traditions.

Flapjacker48 · 25/12/2021 09:29

@Bilingualspingual I have a circle of Scottish friends in Edinburgh (not incomers), middle class and all use Father Christmas.

OP posts:
ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 25/12/2021 09:29

I’ve always said Father Christmas.

Santa’s an American thing.

Yuledo · 25/12/2021 09:29

We always said fc and we were wc growing up

Now We use both interchangably and dh’s family were definitely mc!

Flapjacker48 · 25/12/2021 09:30

@dementedpixie I have a circle of Scottish friends in Edinburgh (not incomers), middle class and all use Father Christmas.

OP posts:
MarshmallowFondant · 25/12/2021 09:31

@dementedpixie

Always Santa in Scotland Are you saying we're lower class?
Think there is a definite air of that isn't there? London-centric posters sneering at the "provinces" and assuming everyone north of about Warwick is lower class. Bower much you have people from very working class backgrounds in Liverpool or wherever saying they grew up with Father Christmas.
3peassuit · 25/12/2021 09:31

I say Father Christmas but have no objection to the DDs calling him Santa.

madisonbridges · 25/12/2021 09:31

Whichever indicates a higher class, that's what I say. 😉

MarshmallowFondant · 25/12/2021 09:32

[quote Flapjacker48]@Bilingualspingual I have a circle of Scottish friends in Edinburgh (not incomers), middle class and all use Father Christmas.[/quote]
Edinburgh native, born and bred. Always Santa.

MaloryPowers · 25/12/2021 09:34

Father Christmas sound stuck up and not 'with the times'. We're not posh but not some poor country cousins either. Santa is more contemporary and we're happy to refer to the magic man as such . Xmas Smile

Mrsjayy · 25/12/2021 09:35

Wasn't there room on the other threads about this I will defend Santa for the rest of Christmas. Scottish Irish some English ,Welsh and Americans etc etc call him Santa now I've no idea of their "class" but I hope this clears up for you merry Christmas Xmas Smile

Kochicoo · 25/12/2021 09:36

No, plenty of 'posh' people in Scotland have always used Santa and Father Christmas was always seen as more English. Not sure your friendship circle is a representative sample! As others have said, this query has come up before on MN with the regional differences bring pointed out many times.

speakout · 25/12/2021 09:37

No- there is a huge regional aspect to it too.
I have some pretty posh relatives- including a Duke and Duchess, but they are Scottish and always call him Santa Claus.

superplumb · 25/12/2021 09:38

Scottish family all say santa. English southern part of family say father christmas. I say both, kids say santa. I couldnt give a rats arse either way

plinkplinkfizzer · 25/12/2021 09:38

Oh God , again ! hides thread .

LawnFever · 25/12/2021 09:38

@Pigeoninthehouse

Grew up saying father Christmas, from working class background Santa American import.
This, exactly.

Father Christmas = British
Santa = Americanism that is now popular in the UK