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Christmas

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Original poster

Father Christmas or Santa Claus?

47 replies

cornetjo · 17/12/2006 20:29

I have always called "the red man" Father Christmas, and have been calling him that when talking to my 2 dds (4 and 1). However, today we were at a party and everyone kept saying Santa Claus is coming etc, and my two girls didnt have a clue who they were talking about.

I had to try and explain that Father Christmas and Santa Claus were the same man.

Is the trend now to call him Santa Claus or still Father Christmas? I much prefer Father Christmas, but loads seem to use Santa now.

OP posts:
ISawTortoiseKissingSantaClaus · 17/12/2006 20:30

Well my DD's call him Ho Ho!.
DD1 started it last year when she was 2 and now DD2 says it too. they also say Santa,Santa Claus or father Christmas.

QuootiepiesChristmasName · 17/12/2006 20:32

Both really...

JonesTheSteam · 17/12/2006 20:34

Both here as well - mostly just Santa though!!!

HazelnutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire · 17/12/2006 20:38

My DD (2) now calls him HO HO thanks to tortoise She is so cute when she says HO HO.

DSS call him by both names. He Santa when Santa is being used and Father Christmas when people use that name. I think they would call him what ever as long as he bring pressies lol

PigeonPie · 17/12/2006 20:39

We're a Father Christmas family here

JollyOldSaintNikkielas · 17/12/2006 21:11

Father Christmas but i sometimes write/type Santa because its Shorter

Pixiefish · 17/12/2006 21:13

Sion Corn here cos we are Welsh

Nemoinapeartree · 17/12/2006 21:15

My ds[3] calls him santa but knows he is also called father christmas.

deaconblue · 17/12/2006 21:20

Father Christmas every time. Santa seems a bit American for my liking

JollyOldSaintNikkielas · 17/12/2006 21:22

Pixiefish -how do you pronounce it?Dd2 is really into learning languages and has been asking about Welsh
TIA

Donk · 17/12/2006 21:24

I am an incredible pedant, so poor ds (just 4) knows that Father Christmas is also called Santa Claus - and that this is another name for Saint Nicholas. On one memorable occasion I even started telling him that St. Nick had been Bishop of Smyrna etc. until I saw his eyes glazing over......

Original poster
cornetjo · 17/12/2006 21:45

We are in Wales to, and my dd1 actually goes to a welsh school. Sion Corn is pronounced Sion similar to Shaun/Sean and Corn as Corrun (ie try and roll the rrrr's).

Good luck

OP posts:
wrappingpaperBOwZZAndribbons · 17/12/2006 21:47

Both really here. Although Santa is easier for littlies to pronounce.

WeWishUAMerryXmasNANappyNewYr · 17/12/2006 23:29

my dt cousins used to say ho ho - so cute!!

Pixiefish · 18/12/2006 08:19

JollyOldSaintNikkielas the Sion is like the English Shaun but not Sean (when pronounced Se-an) and Corn is pronounced like the English corn but with a bit more of a roll on the R.

To put in the u would make him Sion Corun which would mean Sion the Dwarf. Sion the Chimney=Sion Corn- meaning the Sion who comes down th chimney

JARMgotstuckupthechimney · 18/12/2006 08:31

Santa

Always

Grew up talking to relatives on the phone being asked "was santa good to you"

tissy · 18/12/2006 08:35

Father Christmas in my family, but dd has got Santa from nursery, so I'm losing the battle!

hulababy · 18/12/2006 08:40

Father Christmas here. DD does now know that some people call him Santa as well though.

hoxohoxohoxo · 18/12/2006 08:40

DS started out called him Farmer CHristmas, and we've never had teh heart to chnge it.
so it's FARMER CHRISTMAS here. He also corrects those saying it 'wrong'

uwila · 18/12/2006 08:46

We say both. It is Santa in America so I usually say Santa and DH usually says Father Christmas. I try to say Father Christmas but I usually forget. Old habits die hard.

fortyplus · 18/12/2006 08:48

Isn't Santa Claus the American name? We usually refer to FC but sometimes just 'Santa'

Donk · 18/12/2006 10:53

I think that Santa Claus is originally the Dutch name - adopted widely in the States

chopchopbusybusy · 18/12/2006 10:58

I was brought up in Scotland and he was always Santa. Now live in England and my children say Santa but hear most of their friends say Father Christmas.

spinasnowflake · 18/12/2006 12:02

I always called him Santa Claus (I'm Irish) but DH and his family(and most of our friends call him Father Christmas and give me funny looks if I don't!) DS1 (3yo) uses both,recognises both. I tried to use FC up until this yr but I keep forgetting and thought,why I am forcing myself to use an expression that's not natural to me.(and that my own Dad won't use on phone to his grandson!(I have to admit to trying to establish some Family Spin traditions this year and not just adopt those of my ILS!)

My American friend and I had a similiar conversation last year as we were both trying really hard to call him FC!

scotlou · 18/12/2006 12:09

In Scotland I hear "Santa" a lot more than "Father Chrsitmas". Even when I was small it was always Santa.