Father Christmas or Santa

[LetterFromLorah]

A random question!

Since I started watching CBeebies and other children's programmes a few years ago with my son, I've noticed there seems to be a preference for 'Father Christmas' rather than 'Santa'.

I would have been aware of the phrase Father Christmas as a child but we would never, ever have actually referred to Santa as anything other than 'Santa'. It sounds really strange to me to hear children on TV talk about 'Father Christmas'.

I'm from Northern Ireland so I'm wondering if this is a regional thing?

I'm curious as to what other people think?

I say Father Christmas.

My Irish-American great grandfather used to say Santy-Claus, (but never just Santa/Santy.)

A friend(ish) once told me I was common for saying Santa . I was seriously mystified and I went straight off her. It’s whatever you want and probably whatever you were brought up with.

I wonder how it correlates with the scon/scOEn divide?

@kittykat35

Santa...I'm in Ireland

Santa or Santy in Ireland, both now and when I was growing up, in English anyway.

In Irish, it's San Nioclás (St. Nicholas) or Daidí na Nollag (Daddy Christmas).

I do love the way Ireland uses a familiar diminutive of the name, Santy or Daidí, regardless of language. Father Christmas sounds so formal and stuffy to my ears, by comparison. 🎅

Suntee claaas

We say Father Christmas (NW) but I’ve noticed my son’s class mates say Santa. I’m not keen on Santa, they call him Santa at Centre Parcs it annoys me! 😒

I say father Christmas, I live on the south coast. But I sometimes say Santa too.. I dont really know why, probably just because that's how my parents said it... to me Santa sounds American. But nothing against either way 🎅

It’s both a regional thing and a class based thing.

We always say Father Christmas (my Mum is a Scouser, my Dad is from Sussex and I grew up on the south coast.)

Santa always sounds American to me; though I know it’s the usual name for him in Ireland and lots of the north of England and parts of Scotland.

I say Father Christmas. My DH says Santa.

I had no idea it was a regional or a 'class' thing. I've always lived on the edge of London and people say both 'Santa' and 'Father Christmas'. I have noticed (from telly), that Americans tend to use 'Santa' more.

Santa, always Santa. Agree with the other Irish posters saying that Father Christmas sounds so stuffy!

I adore the Raymond Briggs’ grumpy old Father Christmas! Though IMO that book is rather wasted on young children. First read it when I was heavily pregnant with dd2 - it was a present for very little dd1 - and I laughed so much, my mother said, ‘You’ll set your baby off.’

Just as well I didn’t - she’d have arrived rather too early.

Father Christmas... But I find santa 🎅 slips in.

West Wales here and tbh it depends on what language I’m speaking. He’s Father Christmas if I’m in English and Siôn Corn if I’m speaking Welsh. Wouldn’t dream of dictating to people what they call him though