"Santa" is an Americanism - in the UK its "Father Christmas" isnt it?

[janmoomoo]

Or am I being pedantic?

Father Christmas here all the way

see every time you say that lissie, a fairy dies

It's okay, it's only in Aberdeen and Fife that he doesn't come.

and Hertfordshire

but i dont believe it headfairy! surely that counts?

sob there goes another one

...

nooooo, he does exist, he does, he does, he does....

I grew up with Irish parents and we say either Santa or Santy!

headfairy Merci mon amie.

I hope Thanta brings me lots of chocolate too

There there, it'll be all right, they were probably naughty fairies anyway, the ones that hide your car keys and slip a red sock in to your whites wash when you're not looking!

To confuse things further, Welsh speaking Welsh like me would call him Sion Corn. Though sticking to the original question, I would prefer Father Christmas to Santa - just seems more British to me!

Santa, definitely! But then I grew up on the Continent so I probably don't count DH is Irish and all the ILs call him Santy.

Only exception in our family is DS2 (2) who loves singing "Father Christmas, he got stuck, coming down the chimney, what bad luck!" at the top of his voice (well sort of, he doesn't talk that well yet, just thinks he does). Otherwise he's Santa in this house (but admittedly everyone else around here - middle England - seems to call him F.C)

Newmum - we have covered this. It is just your pronunciation but you have obviously grasped the evolutionary posthumity of Thanta correctly and know that he definitely ain't called Father Christmas. That's for Numpties !

d'ya think? and maybe that tooth fairy who left me an IOU when i was 6?

de rien bella, de rien

oh, yes definitely that one lissie. What a meanie! A cheque's bad enough, but an IOU??

i wouldn't have minded, but it was for 20p

OF course he exists. We are him.

Cheapskate, I bet she sold that tooth for a fiver and pocketed the change. Did you ever get your 20p?

Message withdrawn

I prefer Father Christmas - sounds jolly and friendly to me. Santa is OK but just never used by me or friends when growing up - we thought it was American too. Think my early misunderstanding of 'Claws' made any idea he was friendly a bit doubtful. Scared the hell out of me. I guess the one we like is the one that recalls our own childhood.

santa from norn iron

father christmas seems very English

Another vote for Santa Claus (Scottish vote)

Another Scot here and another vote for Santa! Father Christmas?? Sounds way too formal to me.

Pmsl at ScottishMummy saying "biscuit arsed!" I haven't heard that one in years