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Original poster

What does Father Christmas bring UK

90 replies

Sallyh87 · 14/12/2022 22:30

Im not from the UK but have lived here for years and have a DD here. When I was little Santa brought all the big stuff but I’m getting impression from MumsNet in the UK Santa brings the stocking fillers.

This is the first year DD is conscious of Santa and gifts etc and I want to get it right! I want to set the precedent for years to come.

So in your opinion, what gifts is Santa responsible for?

OP posts:
ZeViteVitchofCwismas · 15/12/2022 00:03

I'm not sure poorer DC were/ are ever aware of what others get ln Xmas day.
Infact the poorer families I've know they get more than richer because they get all year.

I saw this played out when my rich cousin pointedly gave her DC very simple " humble"gifts And bragged about this.
However she didn't mention all the toys,play things outdoors,new bikes and Apple stuff they got all year.

ADifferentKindofChristmas · 15/12/2022 00:03

SillySausage81 · 14/12/2022 23:58

I'm actually quite surprised by most of the responses here.

In my house when I was a kid (and I'm pretty sure it was the same for all my school friends) Father Christmas brought all presents from the parents, including big and small gifts. By which I mean, from the child's POV they didn't get anything from their parents, it was all from Father Christmas. We never had a stocking, we had pillow cases, and in some years giant sacks when we had bigger presents.

Then there were the presents from other relatives, aunts, uncles etc. that were under the tree waiting to be unwrapped Christmas morning.

However, I have seen a lot of social media posts in the last few years recommending that people should say the big gifts are from family and Father Christmas only brings small gifts, as it saves poorer children from wondering why Father Christmas didn't bring them very much but brought their classmates some really good swag.

I agree as you have just described my childhood!

I still do a pillowcase now for DS17Xmas Grin

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 15/12/2022 00:05

As a child we got a sack load of toys and clothes plus our big main gift.

Presents from family and friends were under the tree.

Now we have a 3yr old we are just deciding what to do but I think it'll be stocking and sack of gifts including main gift.

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 15/12/2022 00:08

Ladypuggerz · 14/12/2022 23:06

Santa was the delivery man only, in our house too. I always liked the idea that my family picked the gifts and sent them off to the North Pole for elf wrapping and delivery, despite bearing witness to my mother's last minute Christmas Eve wrapping each year. 🤣

What's the point in that?
Santa has a toy workshop. I hate everything getting made more confusing

InvincibleInvisibility · 15/12/2022 00:14

Like when i was a child, FC fills the stocking. Everything else under the tree was from my parents (no relatives) and put out gradually from mid December (so exciting! ).

With my DC, FC fills the stocking. Presents under tree are from me and DH, and 3 other relatives (we love abroad so they send money and i buy and wrap). I put them out gradually too although the biggest go out Christmas eve after bedtime.

11 year old doesn't believe anymore, and just this evening my 8 year old has said that i fill the stockings (I changed the subject).

FC has never been a big deal, neither when I was little nor for my DC. Which ia just as well as we live abroad with different traditions!

kateandme · 15/12/2022 00:21

Sallyh87 · 14/12/2022 23:26

Thanks all, good to know there isn’t a hard rule on this. I was conscious she will be starting school in a year and didn’t want to be ignoring a social norm.

Thanks for taking the time to respond x

Merry Christmas!

Please please do what s best for you. NOT in a mean way but ignore all reply.they cannot live your life,no your child or you so what you wish to do is perfect.even if it's completely different.
And remember those you read about on threads only click on the threads when they have an opinion,complaint,interest.so your missing the million other woman/ families who do it differently and just move on past those threads.

SillySausage81 · 15/12/2022 00:45

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 15/12/2022 00:08

What's the point in that?
Santa has a toy workshop. I hate everything getting made more confusing

Show quote history

I agree. My parents telling me things like that was what made me start to query the whole thing, aged approximately 4 years old, which ruined a lot of the magic, NGL. It was always when they were caught out:

"oh.. er... yeah but we have to give Father Christmas the money for the presents."

"Yeah but father Christmas asks us what we think and we tell him what he can and can't get you."

"oh, yeah.. er... Father Christmas just stopped by to show us the presents so we could make sure they were the right ones so that's why they were all over our bedroom floor..."

"um... er... well we have to wrap them and then give them to Father Christmas, that's why you caught us wrapping them..."

"Er... um... well we have to buy them and give them to Father Christmas, which is why you saw me leaving the shop with the presents you asked for..."

"Wait, but I thought you said you just give him the money..?"

Fgs

Themisthefacts · 15/12/2022 01:20

Santa brings everything from stockings to main gifts . Only things not from Santa are presents from family and friends so they can be thanked .

thaegumathteth · 15/12/2022 01:44

Santa brings the stocking and when they were little one main present from their list - not always an expensive gift but the most wanted.

They don't believe now 😭 but I still do separate Santa paper for the stocking

mathanxiety · 15/12/2022 01:48

Just do Christmas your own way.

It's not your child's job to manage the feelings of the kids in her class over their Christmas haul.

Pass on your own traditions with pride.

mathanxiety · 15/12/2022 01:50

YYY to @kateandme

caringcarer · 15/12/2022 02:08

Large present came from us and was wrapped up under Xmas tree about £100. Rest came from Santa so usually 1 larger gift/toy/game £30 plus 4 gifts/toys about £15-£20 each plus lots of small bits like books, slippers, t shirt, curly drinking straw, art supplies, selection pack, felt pens and Xmas colouring book, chocolate reindeer or Santa, cycle helmet, top trumps, bath bomb and trainers. My kids did not get Xmas Eve boxes but did tend to have new PJ's in December so good Xmas photo.

Vegay · 15/12/2022 02:26

Father Christmas only delivered the presents in my house when I was young, he didn't buy anything. It didn't stop the magic. As a teen, and no longer believing in him, I remember my mum saying that not all children received gifts, and therefore she didn't want us to think that Father Christmas brought us presents when other children may not have been so fortunate. It stuck.

StrawberryWater · 15/12/2022 05:03

Nothing here.

He spreads Christmas joy and cheer and teaches everyone about being nice and that’s it.

RobinRobinMouse · 15/12/2022 05:20

Here Father Christmas brings a small sack (not much bigger than a stocking) and either one big or 2-3 smaller mains. Dd doesn't get anything from us. For us this felt like the most magical way without it going over the top. We say FC will choose from a list what he knows you most want. Other presents are from friends and family when we see them.

RedHelenB · 15/12/2022 06:08

Sallyh87 · 14/12/2022 22:30

Im not from the UK but have lived here for years and have a DD here. When I was little Santa brought all the big stuff but I’m getting impression from MumsNet in the UK Santa brings the stocking fillers.

This is the first year DD is conscious of Santa and gifts etc and I want to get it right! I want to set the precedent for years to come.

So in your opinion, what gifts is Santa responsible for?

Santa brings the presents in this UK house. Just bringing a stocking seems more of a mumsnet thing, all families I know the big present comes from father Christmas.

RedHelenB · 15/12/2022 06:09

Ladypuggerz · 14/12/2022 23:06

Santa was the delivery man only, in our house too. I always liked the idea that my family picked the gifts and sent them off to the North Pole for elf wrapping and delivery, despite bearing witness to my mother's last minute Christmas Eve wrapping each year. 🤣

I never got the point of that. Seemed a big faff and not very magical. I liked the idea the elves were making all the toys.

Ladypuggerz · 15/12/2022 07:52

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 15/12/2022 00:08

What's the point in that?
Santa has a toy workshop. I hate everything getting made more confusing

Show quote history

Nothing confusing really. I simply was never given gifts labelled "from Santa". I'm not sure why and sadly can't ask anyone now. I would hazard a guess that they didn't want Santa taking all the credit. 😉 I enjoyed our version of events. As proven by this thread and all the other Christmas threads, there are plenty of ways to do Santa and Christmas itself.

As a child I allso couldn't get my head round the elves making things in their workshop when myself and peers has obviously picked those items out from places like the Argos catalogue; items that I could order and collect in an instant. 😂An early cynic maybe but Christmas will always be magical for me because of many different traditions not just the presents.

DappledThings · 15/12/2022 08:16

I only heard about the elves and their workshop from films. Don't think there were any elves at all in the version I was given.

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 15/12/2022 08:35

Ladypuggerz · 15/12/2022 07:52

Nothing confusing really. I simply was never given gifts labelled "from Santa". I'm not sure why and sadly can't ask anyone now. I would hazard a guess that they didn't want Santa taking all the credit. 😉 I enjoyed our version of events. As proven by this thread and all the other Christmas threads, there are plenty of ways to do Santa and Christmas itself.

As a child I allso couldn't get my head round the elves making things in their workshop when myself and peers has obviously picked those items out from places like the Argos catalogue; items that I could order and collect in an instant. 😂An early cynic maybe but Christmas will always be magical for me because of many different traditions not just the presents.

Show quote history

I think if I was a child I'd just not get my head around the point of Santa delivering gifts your parents already had. Why need a middle man?!

Divebar2021 · 15/12/2022 08:56

Why need a middle man?!

especially if you’re a house that shops online and has regular deliveries from Amazon etc anyway.

Ladypuggerz · 15/12/2022 08:58

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 15/12/2022 08:35

I think if I was a child I'd just not get my head around the point of Santa delivering gifts your parents already had. Why need a middle man?!

Show quote history

Indeed! Why have Santa at all? Everyone goes to great lengths in their own ways to keep the magic/fun and I don't think anyone's here is better than another's. TV and film certainly portray multiple versions too.

I accepted how my family did it and I don't think we took it as seriously as some either. We had a lot of laughs, even more so when my partner was introduced to the tales as an adult, having not grown up with Christmas at all.

unclebuck · 15/12/2022 09:07

Stockings only. Otherwise why does Santa bring poor kids less than rich kids?

stargirl1701 · 15/12/2022 09:10

One gift and stocking here.

Era · 15/12/2022 09:14

Everything here. Obviously not specific gifts from grandparents etc, these were just handed over by the people who'd bought them or they sat under the tree as they were delivered waiting for Christmas Day. As they got older we started introducing a small pile of presents from mummy and daddy to aid the transition. It was the same for me growing up in the 70s.