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

[janmoomoo]

Or am I being pedantic?

headfairy, nope. thinking about taking her to the small claims court. i could charge interest!

I asked about this a little while ago.

We are Scottish and say Santa.
Dd is English and says FC.

She thinks she's getting presents from both of them.

i'd knock that on the head squeaver!

Another Scot here, I say Santa and until a couple of years ago when I foolishly moved south of the border for the grand total of 4 months, I had never heard of a swede! They are neeps and used to make clapshot.

My DP is German though and I do the Nikalaus thing on 6th December, it makes him very pleased! I only use wrapped sweets though.

I cannot bear santa, makes me cringe. If i'm reading the dd's a book and it has santa in it I automatically change it to Father Christmas. Santa just smacks of that big ole Coca Cola fashioned man. Father Christmas is far more classy.

I'm not sure that I care

Another Scottish vote for Santa! (although my DH, from Fife, says they used to call him "Ekky Claw" which sounds rather menacing, if you ask me)

Oh, and neeps/ turnips ARE those orange ones that you mash- keep your peely wally white things to yourselves, Southerners!!

Does it really matter?

It's Santa here in NZ although I still refer to him as Father Christmas. The other year I told DS1 that if he wasn't good Father Christmas wouldn't be coming this year - he replied he didn't care 'cos Santa was - they said so at school!!!!!

I'm baffled at edam thinking her name is Scottish. Edam is Dutch surely

I'm from the North East and he's always been Santa Claus there. So I think there is a bit of a geographical thing going on...

This solves a mystery for me - Ma-in-law is from Aberdeen and says Santa (which I have to say goes through me like nails down a blackboard, but that's more due to my own weird mother's influence!) - now I know why!

I do say Father Christmas usually, but have been explaining to DD that St Nicholas, Santa Claus (Ni-claus?) and FC are one and the same. As she has multiple names that she's known by she's accepted this without question.

And turnips are the big things that turn orange after cooking

No, no, no, no lovecat!

Turnips are white not orange:

turnip

This is a swede

Swedes are the big orange ones.

Always been Santa in this scottish household

My maiden name was Laws, so we always had Santa Laws in our house! (Laws side of the family from the NE)

I've always known the man as Father Christmas, but since moving to Scotland, people just don't know what i'm going on about if I don't say Santa. Like last year when I asked for a Father Christmas balloon at the winter fair thing!

I suppose you do goto a Santas Grotto rather than a Father Christmas Grotto. DPs family are English, but have been living in Scotland for 28 years, so will have to ask them.

Dd (4) has the whole thing worked out. The Holly King brings presents at Yule which is usually when dss comes over. Santy brings presents in Ireland on Christmas eve and Father Christmas drops off presents in England on his rounds which are waiting for us when we get back.

Its all quite simple really when you lok at it.

And as for Swedes and turnips well thats much more complicated.

Saltire - I think edam may be Dutch now but obviously there was a point in its evolutionary ....when it was Scottish.

Am ignoring the reference to Father Christmas being classy except to say only plebs use the word classy

Let the definitive definition go to Mel Gibson in Braveheart, all dolled up with his warpaint on and shouting:

You can take our lives but you'll never take our THANTA

welsh girl here at work says they call him Sion Corn which translates as Horny John (so she tells me ). Make of that what you will tho I am presuming it is a reference to the Horned God/Green Man/Holly King (honest)

Father Christmas is terribly uptight and serious

Yes it is.

Ramon, you know him personally?