What's your Father Christmas like?

[TeWihara]

We didn't really 'do' Father Christmas growing up, so I'm drawing a blank on what traditions to set up for our first Christmas at home as a family.

Does your Father Christmas have a snack when he drops off presents or leave notes or footprints?
Do you make a big deal about good behaviour = whatever present you want, or avoid that (if so, how?)
Does he bring all the presents or just some?

I need a plan!

Our Father Christmas is NOT referred to as Santa at any time. He eats a mince pie and drinks some whiskey that we leave for him. He also gives ruldolph a bite of the carrot we leave for him. He does not leave notes or footprints!

He brings all the presents, but grown ups are able to send presents magically to him to bring for the children i.e. I have bought and paid for your £50 lego set and Father Christmas was the magical postman.

Good behaviour means you will get something you have written on your Christmas list, but he does not bring everything on the list or there would not be enough for all the children in the world.

father christmas has a mince pie and a glass of milk when he comes to us, also we leave a carrot for rudolph. the other reindeer get reindeer dust sprinkled outside so they can see where to stop. (oats mixed with edible glitter) he brings small sacks filled with fun toys her, a comic each, kellogs mini cereals, sweeties, little bits of tat that the kids love, an annual etc. things which are not expensive, but the kids love delving into their sacks for the goodies. christmas lists are allowed to be up to 5 items only, and you may not get all of them. mummy pays for these but father christmas gets them and delivers them.

Here Santa and Father Christmas are interchangeable titles.
He has a goblet of ale and some mince pies or cakes ive made with the kids on christmas eve.
We leave out a carrot for the reindeer and also scatter reindeer food (oats and sugar mix) on christmas eve.
He leaves snowy foot prints on the floor - from door to pressies as we dont have a chimney.
He leaves a stocking of little bits to open hanging on their bedroom doors.
He also leaves all the main presents in the living room, big and little, everything.
We dont get the kids presents from parents until they stop believing, hope this wont be until their 20's at least
Presents from anyone else is from the gift giver.
He only brings presents to good boys and girls. (well my two are little buggers but he brings them anyway )
I will introduce a letter from santa next year i think to each of them, not sure what will be in it yet though.
He also gets his elves to drop off a christmas eve hamper on christmas eve. I have quite a list of things to go in there too!

I love Christmas just a little bit too much i think

Father Christmas is naughty in our house. He buys the children presents that mummy does not let them have. For example, Bubble gum and Chocolately cereals. My 7 year old is absolutely convinced FC is real, because she knows I never allow her to have bubble gum, but FC has bought her a pack the past couple of years. Once its gone though, its gone and she's not allowed any more until next Christmas .

We do leave him an alcoholic drink (whatever I fancy drinking that night) and a mince pie. Reindeers are fed out the front with oats. Rudolph gets a carrot - but he's naughty too as he always leaves the end (nibbled of course).

FC gets in through his Santa key and leaves it hanging on the inside door.

Children get to ask for 3 presents, which he brings them. They write a letter (I always get them to do it just before bed) and put it on the side. When they're asleep, I steam open their letter and replace the inside with blank paper and reseal it carefully. The next day we post the letters in the post box. The original letter my DC writes always turn up in the bottom of their sacks with the three items ticked off.

Whilst Santa delivers the presents, I have to pay for them and he doesn't bring anything expensive. Apart from the 3 items requested, most items cost less than £5 each, some under £1. Big presents (Those over £5) are from DH and myself and are given under the tree.

Santa/Father Christmas both used in this house, although we lean more towards Santa as that is what DH and I said mostly as kids!

We leave out a carrot for Rudolph (maybe, there was a discussion last year about the other reindeer feeling left out..), a cake or mince pie for Santa and a whisky.

All presents from Santa are laid out in front of the fireplace, presents from family/friends are under the tree. The one "main" present from Santa is not wrapped - so it is spied instantly. The other wrapped presents are surprises from mummy and daddy that Santa has delivered for us. I think it is just assumed that Santa brings the stocking presents, we've never discussed it!

I'm thinking of introducing a new rule this year - one which my dad imposed on us as kids - kids are not allowed to go downstairs to the living room until the street lights have gone off! Just in case Santa is making a last minute delivery and we accidentally catch sight of him! (the real reason being we get to stay in bed past stupid o'clock!)