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Is Santa real?
What is Father Christmas's name in other languages?
Chloe age 6
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Someone has added a whole bunch of Irish/Santa Claus links. I'm not sure I see the relevance of these links apart from someone attempting to push their own political agenda. The page already has a link the Santa Claus page. Any Santa Claus references should be added to that page. I dread to think that someone has added these links to introduce the Ireland/UK debate/argument onto the page. Anyone object to me removing the Irish Santa Claus links? Dbnull 15:11, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
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Suggestion to add a link to the Green Man, there are legends that claim Father Christmas derives from the Green Man. Hence, his original apparel being Green robes. Dbnull 15:43, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
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Wow, for such a prominent article, this needs work. Can anybody provide any sources on this pagan origin? Like, for example, whether it was Anglo-Saxon or Celtic? -- Saforrest 22:10, 23 December 2005 (UTC)
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I read the article and it did not make sense as written. What it says was Father X, Santa & St. Nicolas are the same thing - but they are completely different. I hope the addition makes sense. I was tempted to put in the Danish for father Christmas as Julman (I think that's how its spelt) - however I don't know the history.
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I think it makes perfect sense. Father Christmas and Santa Claus perform the same role, but have different origins.
-- Greasysteve13 09:50, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
No, there are very distinct differences between the 2 figures. Santa Claus has origins from a religious context, Father Christmas has origins from a pagan context. They may have many similarities as their roles have merged through cultural merging over time, but they are distinct figures. As an encyclopedia it would be misleading to join the articles; people searching for information on either figure would be presented with a single article trying to differentiate the two. Maybe, a separate article (disambiguation) could be written that tackles precisely the differences between the two. Each article for Santa Claus and Father Christmas deserves to link to each other, but I would vote against merging the two articles into one. Dbnull 15:02, 8 June 2006 (UTC)
It's hard to justify not merging, given the current state of the article. There is evidence of some early use of the term "Father Christmas" as a personification of the feast, and this personification seems similar to the current character. However, there's nothing substantial about a tradition. This evidence could be incorporated into the Santa article as "predecessor" information. But I think for nationalistic reasons people will campaign for a separate page.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 23:29, 22 December 2012 (UTC)
Hi - in the text it refers to Father Christmas living at the North Pole, in Canada. Traditionally in Britain, Father Christmas lives in Lapland, doesn't he? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.166.171.72 ( talk) 10:05, 18 December 2013 (UTC)
Are you sure? As far as I was aware the North Pole was an American thing. Maybe I am mistaken! Cheers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.166.171.72 ( talk) 09:25, 20 December 2013 (UTC)
What do they say in Scotland then?-- Greasysteve13 06:06, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
I am Irish (republic) and I have never heard an Irish child call him Father Christmas. The usual term used among English-speakers in Ireland is Santa Claus, Santa or Santy. This is the standard in the mass media here, too. Of course, many Irish children know that "Father Christmas" is what the English call Santa, because they hear that term on British television channels, but it is not well established in popular usage. Mind you, it may well be that children and media in Northern Ireland use the traditional English term. As stated elsewhere, the name "Daidí na Nollag", meaning literally "Daddy of Christmas", is used in Irish Gaelic. I wonder what he's called in Scots Gaelic? And what do the Welsh call him, in English or Welsh? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Julemand ( talk • contribs) 11:22, 19 November 2007 (UTC)
Apology accepted. I understand your point, but we are not the guardian of culture, any more than we are here to provide a highlight to the ills and injustices of the world. Our task is to document those parts of it that someone else has chosen to guard or illuminate, remaining neutral in the process. - Arcayne (cast a spell) 16:11, 26 December 2008 (UTC)
Yeah, I live in England, and "Santa Claus" is used a lot now. 80.41.116.173 ( talk) 11:48, 26 May 2009 (UTC)
I am in my 50s from Scotland. Father Christmas has never been used only Santa (Claus). We are all aware in Scotland that Father Christmas is a regional English term. The British media bash on about it but is a purely English term. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.146.145.22 ( talk) 18:31, 25 December 2017 (UTC)
Please change the picture - use the Father Christmas from The LIon, the Witch, and the Wardrobe instead, I beseech! Das Baz 15:58, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
The image on the page at the moment is the traditional American one of Santa, not that of Father Christmas. Can we find a more appropriate one?-- MichaelMaggs 17:33, 20 September 2006 (UTC)
Indeed, that image is labelled as 'a classic American image of Santa Claun' on the Santa Article. I've replaced it with the woodcut; it may not look much like people picture Father Christmas nowadays but at least it is him. Mon Vier 19:10, 3 October 2006 (UTC)
Multiple links to that Dawn Coperman web article are hardly adequate citation for a claim of pagan origins. Coperman gives no references at all for her claims of a Saxon 'King Winter' or 'King Frost' figure. And a link to a Google Book search with the word 'pagan' highlighted is likewise hardly adequate. Cavalorn 19:04, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
previous claims within the history section that evidence of father christmas having pagan origins are scarce, and unlikely are unsourced and not backed up by its citations and personally motivated seeing that this article only had two contrary citations. i have researched and changed this section so as not to be a POV rant. and have specified all pagan origins as just "characteristic" influences to father christmas. which is worthy of the history section. Some thing 19:14, 11 April 2007 (UTC)
The page says that "Father Christmas" is used in Australia. I was born in Australia, and have lived here all my life, and have very rarely heard people call him "Father Christmas". We call him "Santa" in Australia. Both names are understood to mean the same 'person' but "Father Christmas" is rarely used. It is similar to the American "Flashlight" and Australian "Torch". Both are the same thing, and we understand both to mean the same thing, but we use "Torch". So back to the point, why does this page say that Australia uses "Father Christmas", and where is the 'evidence' for it? --- 60.240.5.123 01:04, 20 December 2006 (UTC)
The term 'Father Christmas' is used in translation in many countries
I don't understand what this sentence is supposed to mean ? And maybe these names should be ordered to depict their meaning, like this, for exemple:
Father Christmas: Brazil ("Papai Noel"), Bulgaria ("Dyado Koleda"), France and French Canada ("le Père Noël"),
Saint Nicholas: Hungary ("Mikulás"), Malta ("San Niklaw"),Poland ("Święty Mikołaj"),
Old man of Christmas: Latvia ("Ziemassvētku vecītis"), Lithuania ("Kalėdų Senelis"),
Child Jesus: Mexico ("El Niñito Dios" ("Child God", meaning Jesus)).
Father Frost: Russia ("Ded Moroz"), Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Deda Mraz"); Removed the Father Frost from the Czech Republic info, as it is clearly a Russian tradition. Many Czechs are aware of the existence of the Father Frost, but this is mainly because they are fond of this Russian fairy-tale film "Mrazik" which is on the TV every Christmas. Arguably, there will be merely an insignificant minority of children in the Czech Republic, who actually receive their gifts from this character.
Multiple names used: Spain and some of Spanish-speaking Latin America ("Papá Noel" or "San Nicolás" or "Santa Claus" ), Germany ("Weihnachtsmann" or "Nikolaus"), 'Father Christmas' (and in some cases baby Jesus) is used in preference to 'Santa' in Afghanistan ("Baba Chaghaloo")
Futhermore, althought this information is very interesting, I doubt it should be here - it lists every gift bringing character like Child Jesus, but article is on Father Christmas, maybe it should be in seperate article ? --
Xil/
talk 14:44, 24 December 2006 (UTC)
The Danish name, "Julemanden", could be translated literally as "the Yule man" or "the Christmas man". No reference to "father".
I find it strange that the Finnish Joulupukki is simply referred to in the article by the translated name, unlike many of the others. We call him Joulupukki, not The Yule Goat.
Vierase (
talk) 08:10, 1 June 2012 (UTC)
Some of the names for other countries/ Languages provided do not translate to "father Christmas" or "baby jesus". Some of these figures are not even connected with Christmas, but with other dates, like new year's eve, instead. The last paragraph should be modified to reflect this.
The only source for this is an about.com article which gives no sources or indeed any attempts to back up its assertions. It looks suspiciously like a retrospective creation, along the lines of Margaret Murray or Gerald Gardner. Is there a better source for this? Mon Vier 12:26, 18 April 2007 (UTC)
Thank you so very much for getting rid of that stupid illustration and putting in a much better one! A trillion blessings on whoever did it! Erudil 20:49, 28 April 2007 (UTC)
I've removed the reference to Gladman's Insurrection, because Gladman was crowned as the Lord of Misrule, not as any equivalent of 'Father Christmas':
"The subsequent defence alleged that the procession was but a Shrovetide sporting, and that Gladman was merely 'crowned as Kyng of Crestemesse'; the riot, however, took place at the end of January, six weeks before any Shrovetide mummery was due; possibly Gladman, who seems to have played the part of 'King of Misrule' annually at the Shrovetide carnival, put on his 'property robes' in a spirit of semijesting riotousness, and was then carried by the temper of the mob further than he had intended." (From britishhistory.ac.uk)
The Lord_of_Misrule is a completely different figure from Father Christmas, and has his own Wikipedia entry. Cavalorn ( talk) 14:21, 26 November 2007 (UTC)
Father Christmas vs. Weihnachtsmann (Santa) vs. Nikolaus vs. Babbo Natale ...
at the part "Names in various countries" there ist listet in Germany "Weihnachtsmann" or "Nikolaus". thats def. wrong! the nikolaus (english: Saint Nicholas) is not the weihnachtsmann (english: Santa Claus) - (i will change this later on. perhaps there are also mistakes in other languages ...???). also the polish, russian and other entries of this list are doubtful. (and the inter-wiki-links too). a merging of "Santa Claus" and "Father Christmas" perhaps would be the better way ... hmm. ? thanx, 80.89.110.48 ( talk) 16:40, 6 December 2007 (UTC) (this edit was done by Enlarge ( talk) 10:45, 7 December 2007 (UTC), resigned)
This seems somewhat irrelevant to me. It would be interesting if the works were comparable, but The Father Christmas Letters were never meant for publication. The fact that a character used by Lewis in fiction designed for public consumption appears in writings which Tolkien produced purely for his family's benefit is surely neither here nor there. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.149.221.148 ( talk) 00:17, 18 December 2007 (UTC) It is here and it is there, Sam I am. He wrote those letters for his children, but they were published as a book for everybody eventually. Das Baz, aka Erudil 20:07, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
DBachmann was making a few edits and drew my attention to the fact that there is another article for Santa Claus. The two are interchangeable terms for the same person, and a lot of the information from one article is duplicated in the other. I think that both articles would be better served by merging the two and contrasting the differences of interpretation. Any merger of course would have the appropriate redirects. Because we are moving into that season, this should probably be acted upon after a moderate amount of discussion. I've initiated this same discussion over at the Santa Claus article. Thoughts? - Arcayne (cast a spell) 14:40, 25 November 2008 (UTC)
"The same figure with the same name exists in other countries (in that country's language), such as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Romania (Romance countries)."
The above paragraph is someone's point of view...yes they do have names with similar meanings however to claim they are the same character is heavily biased as Father Christmas is as much like the Italian version as he is like the American Santa Claus. The above should be changed to something more easily sourced and less biased. Merry Yule! Sigurd Dragon Slayer ( talk) 16:28, 11 December 2008 (UTC)
"Father Christmas often appears as a large elderly aged male often around 60 to 70 years old. He is dressed in either a red or green snowsuit trimmed with white fur, a matching hat and dark boots. Often he carries a large brown sack filled with toys on his back"
I'd agree with the elderly man, and the sack of toys, but my childhood (only 30-odd years ago) memory of Father Christmas is that he typically wore a long red gown, and a hooded riding-cloak trimmed with white fur. The jaunty bobble-cap, and the two-piece jacket-and-trousers suit (which is what I assume is meant by "snow suit") is, to me, typical of the modern hybridisation with the (essentially, in British culture) American Santa Claus. Green I don't remember at all - possibly a reference to Dickens' "Spirit of Christmas Present" in "A Christmas Carol", who wears a green cloak? But I can't find sources, not even a snap of me sitting on the knee of a department store "Father Christmas" in the mid-seventies, which I'm sure would prove my point about the appearance of Father Christmas back then being (apart from colour scheme) different to that of the modern Santa. Ghughesarch ( talk) 23:53, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
Nast did not invent the red-suited Santa Claus at all. There were illustrations pre-nast depicting Santa as wearing a red suit. The article is correct in that the Coca-Cola myth is ridiculous fiction, but the assertion that Nast conjured up the red-suited Santa is every bit as dubious and typical of the reprehensible lack of fact-checking so prevalent on this could-be-terrific website. — Preceding
unsigned comment added by
174.63.71.96 (
talk) 19:35, 25 December 2011 (UTC)
The link to a BBC page supposedly showing that the red clothes/Coca Cola is an urban myth doesn't say anything at all about urban myths. I've moved the link to an earlier part of the sentence. Thomas Peardew ( talk) 10:43, 5 December 2014 (UTC)
Listen if a little kid reads this he'll burst out crying (followed by a possible suicide =]) No I really mean it. ←Kala jan→ 22:31, 26 January 2009 (UTC)
I noticed that Russia and at least one other member of the USSR have the communist Father Winter or Father Frost associated with New Years Day. This is quite interesting and should be explained. I would expect that Christmas itself is making a comeback in those nations. Kitfoxxe ( talk) 19:04, 1 December 2009 (UTC)
'Father Christmas typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, but was neither a gift bringer, nor particularly associated with children. The pre-modern representations of the gift-giver from church history namely Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas and folklore, merged with the British character Father Christmas, to create the character known to Americans as Santa Claus. Like Santa Claus, Father Christmas has been identified with the old belief in Woden (Odin to the Norse)[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11].'
'Father Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century in Britain, and pictures of him survive from that era, portraying him as a well-nourished bearded man dressed in a long green fur-lined robe. He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, and was reflected as the "Ghost of Christmas Present" in the Charles Dickens's classic A Christmas Carol, a great genial man in a green coat lined with fur, who takes Ebenezer Scrooge through the bustling streets of London on Christmas morning, sprinkling the essence of Christmas onto the happy populace.' —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sweetie candykim ( talk • contribs) 13:05, 8 December 2009 (UTC)
Then
'Appearance
"Father Christmas" is often synonymous with Santa Claus.Father Christmas often appears as a large man, often around 70 years old. He is dressed in a red or green snowsuit trimmed with white fur, a matching hat and dark boots. Often he carries a large brown sack filled with toys on his back.'
If he wasn't a gift bringer why did he have toys on his back? Sweetie candykim ( talk) 12:59, 8 December 2009 (UTC)
I have doubts on the interpretations this article is giving about the 15th century carols. Rather than "personnifications" of some abstract notion, could not these "sire Christësmas" be alternative names for Child Jesus ?
"My lord" and "our king" are traditional titles for Jesus, aren't they ?
Doesn't "your coming" refer to the coming of Jesus, celebrated on Christmas ?
If so, I do not think we can use these carols as evidence of the existence of a "Father Christmas" who is a character distinct from Jesus.
Teofilo talk 18:00, 20 December 2009 (UTC)
I did a new section on this article about where he appears on Films. So far I got Elf and The Polar Express. Those are my 2 favourites with Santa Claus-- Father Christmas95 ( talk) 18:22, 26 December 2009 (UTC)
I have just finished watching an episode of QI in which it was claimed that Father Christmas died on 30 May 1564. Christmas being a common name in Essex and the title "Father" being attributed to anyone old where their first name was not known. The death is apparently recorded in the Register of Deaths in the church at Dedham, Essex. I wouldn't know how to begin to find a satisfactory source for this, but I'm sure someone can - and it should be included in this article. 86.16.134.133 ( talk) 19:44, 11 April 2010 (UTC)
Much of the history section has no definitive connection to Father Christmas (carols, Dickens etc). And the pagan argument is very thin. As belief in Woden died out a thousand years before the appearance of Father Christmas, it's hard to credit that theory. There are a lot of benevolent old men with white beards in world folklore, but that doesn't make them all precursors of FC.
While it wasn't released for publication at the time, the fact is that in the 1920s JRR Tolkein began writing the Father Christmas Letters with a main character very much in the mould of Santa Claus which we know today. There is no indication of how this arose.
Moreover, there is no serious indication of how the tradition of Father Christmas differs from Santa Claus.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 08:12, 25 April 2011 (UTC)
There seems no justification for claiming that the Ghost of Christmas Present from A Christmas Carol is Father Christmas. He looks more like a representation of Bacchus in the illustration. The claim seems motivated by a desire to prove the Coca Cola Conspiracy, given the emphasis on his green cloak. Similarly the Ben Jonson character is a personification of Christmas but not in itself a representation of Father Christmas. The same is true for the carols.
The article could mention that there were several personifications of Christmas, but to give them so much prominence is misleading. I think the picture should go.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 07:48, 22 May 2011 (UTC)
I'm not a stickler for Wikipedia rules, but this is a bad example of original research. Editors are trying to uncover an English tradition of Father Christmas by collecting a wide range of folklore, fiction etc which isn't particularly relevant. I think there are 2 courses of action: (1) only keep genuine mentions of Father Christmas, or (2) find a secondary source which links all this stuff together as the figure's prehistory.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 21:36, 27 December 2011 (UTC)
I've lived in Australia my entire life(born 1993) and I've never heard anyone refer to Father Christmas as Santa Claus. Everyone I know calls him Father Christmas. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 182.239.159.52 ( talk) 11:33, 9 November 2012 (UTC)
That's right. To say "Father Christmas" in Australia sounds British, old-fashioned, and possibly high class. "Santa" on the other hand could be derided as Americanisation. However, it has been used in Australian Xmas songs like "Santa Never Made it into Darwin" (1975) and "Six White Boomers" (1960).-- Jack Upland ( talk) 05:08, 9 December 2012 (UTC)
The history section is much better now, but paradoxical. We have good evidence for FC emerging in the 1600s, but nothing more until a few brief mentions in the 19th century, and then he emerges in the 20th century as a replica of Santa Claus. Surely there must be something in between.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 05:01, 26 December 2012 (UTC)
I'm afraid I don't think the Times letter is a very good source. It isn't clear what tradition the writer is alluding to, if any. And as discussed before, I don't see how Dickens is relevant. In fact, I would tend to believe that FC is merely a copy of the American Santa Claus, except for those 17th century references.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 22:53, 26 December 2012 (UTC)
All this is very speculative. For all we know the letter-writer just made up the pseudonym and wasn't referring to any tradition at all.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 23:16, 27 December 2012 (UTC)
The history section is very light on the origin of the story/tradition. I can see from this talk page that there used to be some discussion of possible pagan origins, but this has evidently been deleted since (which is probably a shame). Effort should be put into fleshing out exactly why the story of an old man associated with Christmas - who ISNT Santa Claus - should exist. While I don't think that merging with Santa Clause would aid that, I do think that there needs to be some over-arching discussion of Christmas folklore characters. Fig ( talk) 10:58, 27 December 2012 (UTC)
I think you're generalising from a few scraps of information. There must be other evidence out there. The history section is very weak as it stands, as discussed above. But I agree it is highly unlikely that FC could have pagan origins. (The same is true for Santa, though, if you analyse the evidence.)-- Jack Upland ( talk) 23:11, 27 December 2012 (UTC)
It's actually tantalising. Without the 17C references, I would say he was a nineteenth century creation, probably linked with Santa Claus. Given that, can we say he didn't exist before the 17C? No, we can't. The Barclay Fox reference should be given more prominence. I think the 1840s is too early for American or Continental influence on British popular culture. It sounds like a native tradition. But where does it come from??? Where is the evidence of the earlier tradition? With regard to the 17C, I think you're overemphasising the "literary" nature of this. Literature can reflect popular tradition. Shakespeare did it all the time. The 17C literary references are close enough to today's FC to believe there is a continuous tradition. But we need evidence of this.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 09:14, 28 December 2012 (UTC)
I've now been able to see that book. Unfortunately, FC only appears to be mentioned on the title page. The phrase appears as a kind of subtitle, not as part of Ch 6. It appears to relate to the first chapter which laments the stinginess of gentry at Xmas compared with earlier days. "FC" seems to be a figure of speech, rather than a figure of folklore, rather like "Lady Luck" or "Jack Frost". This appears to be the case with the quote from "Time's Telescope" as well. It is just a fanciful way of saying Xmas...-- Jack Upland ( talk) 08:03, 9 January 2013 (UTC)
I've found the same with Australian newspapers (for what it's worth). FC appears fully formed as a folkloric figure in the later stages of the 19th century, Santa Claus under another name. I'll add a reference in for "Round About the Coal Fire". I think you're right about the old fashioned part: "Father Christmas" harks back to the good old days. And the phrase does seem to be a peg on which to hang social criticism, which is not uncommon with personifications. I do think you should expand on that Barclay Fox reference (if you have the source) because that seems pivotal in the transformation.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 08:59, 10 January 2013 (UTC)
Todays Santa is from the 1931 Coca Cola advert. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.101.239.144 ( talk) 23:39, 27 December 2012 (UTC)
The second picture in the article shows a Victorian card with a depiction of an English Father Christmas? Well, granted he's got a greenish robe and treats for the good kids - but his robe seems made of animal skins and he's also carrying a birch rod. So he's technically more a Belsnickel. He's a good example of the ongoing synthesis between imported German/American traditions of a gift-bringer, and the native English personification of Christmas. RLamb ( talk) 09:38, 27 December 2015 (UTC)
Whether other, earlier references/illustrations exist I don't know. I'm better at searching old newspaper databases than image collections.
Obviously the 17th c pamphlet illustration shows FC in a robe, but that just seems typical gear of the period for an older man of the gentry class. Barclay Fox's 1840-ish Father Christmas effigy made for the kids' party wears a scarlet coat and cocked hat - a get-up that baffled me, because I hadn't seen any references to mumming plays when I read it. Now I suspect Fox had seen a mummers' Father Christmas, because the villagers who did mumming plays had very little in the way of costume and a soldier's scarlet coat was a prized object. The cocked hat would be literally old-hat by the 1840s, so appropriate wear for an 'old man' character.
Until at least the 1970s I would say Father Christmas was often depicted wearing a loose scarlet robe trimmed with white fur. Now I think the Santa Suit is universal. I can put this in a talk page but not in the article. RLamb ( talk) 11:15, 30 December 2015 (UTC)
There are currently two intertwined problems with the article. Firstly, as pointed out several times, there is no clear-cut distinction with the Santa Claus article. Secondly, as discussed above, there is an attempt in the article to establish (or concoct) the distinction between the two characters: for example, by claiming that Dickens mentioned Father Christmas in A Christmas Carol. This is not neutral. Some people claim there is a distinction. I haven't been able to find any hard evidence. The overwhelming verdict of sources is that Santa Claus and Father Christmas are synonymous. Therefore, the dilemma at the moment is that either this article is merged with the Santa article or it is non-neutral because it asserts on dubious evidence (or none at all) that the two characters are separate.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 11:41, 27 December 2015 (UTC)
I disagree. The primary sources quoted in the article show there were continuous references to Father Christmas from at least the late 16th c., and that he personified aspects of English cultural life - mainly, neighbourly feasting and charity to others at Christmas. This was long before he took on the attributes of the children's gift-bringer of German/American folklore. If it could be shown he only derived from Santa Claus he could be a sub-section of that article. But he didn't. The primary sources show he pre-dates Santa, and current references indicate he is still a cultural meme in England today, appearing under his own name in books, films and department stores. Why have you got this thing about merging him, are you in Santa's pay? Merry Christmas to you too. RLamb ( talk) 09:40, 28 December 2015 (UTC)
I doubt that it is often said that the red suit comes from Coca Cola. Are there any sources for that claim, other than the Coca Cola company itself? Royalcourtier ( talk) 05:14, 29 December 2015 (UTC)
I have removed the citation William J. Federer (2002). "There Really Is a Santa Claus: The History of St. Nicholas & Christmas Holiday Traditions" p. 39. Amerisearch, Inc., 2002, and the text it is said to support, as the book hardly appears to be a reliable source for the subject matter of this article. The book is very US-centric (around 80% is taken up with copies of US presidents' Christmas addresses over the years). The author has very little to say on Father Christmas, dedicating just two paragraphs to him out of 340 pages. The relevant section reads in its entirety as follows:
King Henry VIII, like Martin Luther, recognised the importance people placed on Christmas traditions, but instead of bringing the focus back to the "Christ Child", he introduced a character known as "Father Christmas", which was a reintroduction of "Saturn", the Roman god of plenty. He was pictured as a large man clothed in deep green or scarlet robes lined with fur, bringing peace, joy, good food, wine and revelry, similar to the "spirit of Christmas present" in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. At this time of year, the ancient Romans celebrated "Saturnalia" honoring the pagan deity with a season of merriment, feasting, gift-giving and mending of relationships. Since England no longer kept Saint Nicholas's feast day on December 6th, they moved their "Father Christmas" celebration to December 25th to coincide with Christmas day.
The claim that Henry VIII introduced Father Christmas as a fully-realised figure similar to the one described by Dickens but based on the Roman god is astonishing. If true, I would have expected other sources to mention it. I know of no historic or scholarly source that does so. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 14:35, 4 January 2016 (UTC)
Some of the deleted material citing Federer is not actually mentioned in that source at all. It may be possible to add some of it back if other sources can be found. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 14:46, 4 January 2016 (UTC)
The Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore seems to have some good material, according to this website. I have ordered a copy, and will do some more editing when it arrives. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 15:04, 4 January 2016 (UTC)
According to the current article, the 4th edition (1732) of the "Round About our Coal Fire" chapbook includes the subtitle "With memoirs of old Father Christmas; shewing what hospitality was in former times, and how little of it there remains at present". However, the original reprinted text of that edition, a facsimile copy of which can be downloaded as a free ebook, does not mention FC at all, even in the title. The actual title is simply "Round about our Coal Fire: or, Christmas Entertainments". The latter title is shown on the Amazon UK site, but Amazon US - selling apparently the same facsimile of the same edition - adds the extra Father Christmas mention. I'm assuming that the editions are in fact slightly different, but in the absence of anything more than a title which mentions FC, the reference hardly seems to add much to this article. I have removed the text and reference, but if anyone has access to a university or other academic library login which gives the full text of the FC version, please let me know. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 18:46, 18 January 2016 (UTC)
I've deleted the text quoted below on the grounds that these are essentially trivial mentions of FC that don't add anything to the historical account. There are hundred of such trivial occurrences of FC that could be included, and as the article is long enough already I think we should concentrate on only the more significant sources.
-- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 15:43, 21 January 2016 (UTC)
Does anyone have access to the Daily Telegraph archive? Apparently FC is mentioned in a leader of 25 December 1873. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 09:11, 2 February 2016 (UTC)
I've just looked through some 19th century English periodicals for depictions of Father Christmas. This seems to confirm this gist of what the article currently says. There are important differences with today's "Santa Claus" image:
For example, "A Musical Charade" (Routledge's Every Boy's Annual, 1871) describes "Old Father Christmas in a long white robe — beard — red face — crown of holly–berries — and big staff surmounted with evergreens". This does confirm the relevance of the "Christmas Carol" image, and does indicate that there is an English Father Christmas, after all. I have collected some references and images, but maybe the article is well-supplied with these already. I do think the article should be changed, though, because it implies that the depiction wasn't standardised in this period. I think it was standardised (apart from the colours), but elements of the standard were very different from today. Also, the text implies that the change happened after the 1840s, but I think it was more gradual than that.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 07:19, 4 February 2016 (UTC)
It appears that the two characters were never completely separate, even before they merged. The Santa Claus page says that SC partly derived from FC. This seems to be true, as the merry-making fat man image doesn't seem to come from Sinterklaas. For what it's worth, Thomas Nast's seminal illustration has a crown of holly. The English FC was clearly known in the USA. Rose Terry Cooke, who was an American, wrote a poem called "Christmas": "Here comes old Father Christmas, With sound of fife and drums; With mistletoe about his brows..." This sounds more like the FC of Merry England than SC. I don't know the date, but I saw it in an English periodical from 1876.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 06:12, 5 February 2016 (UTC)
Actually note Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843) illustration of "Christmas Present". The artist. Leech, originally gave him a red robe - which Dickens rejected (the original watercolour in in New York now [2]). The book cover itself, however, was red - that colour has been long associated with the season, and the title page is in green and red. Dickens also covers the room in greenery - echoing the introduction of the "Christmas tree" in England just three years prior. It appears the fat ghost is an archetype of Santa Claus. The clay pipe is Dutch in origin, not from Coca Cola ads <g>, tough other cultures also seem to show "jolly people" smoking pipes, so that is not clear-cut. Reindeer? Certainly pre-1821. Possibly from Scandinavian traditions, or via Canada. Collect ( talk) 09:46, 6 February 2016 (UTC)
No, not convinced! (emoji for sticking tongue out and waggling fingers in ears). Come on - the presence of Finns and Swedes in the 17th c. doesn't mean their descendants were still talking about ancestral transport methods in the early 19th c. Unless there's proof Finns and Swedes had a folklore tradition of a Christmas gift-bringer who used a reindeer-drawn sleigh? And that it was extant c. 1820 in the New York area among their descendants, or more recent immigrants. Otherwise Moore, or possibly Moore(?), could just have made it up as a piece of poetic whimsy. He might recently have been reading Scoresby's 'An account of the Arctic regions' (1820) which quotes a description of the inhabitants "travelling on the ice of the sea, in sledges drawn by rein-deer." Or not. It needs more research. But not by me :) I have to say I think this page has been improved hugely from what it was when I last contributed. Congratulations, especially to Michael Maggs. RLamb ( talk) 23:26, 6 February 2016 (UTC)
OK, I've pretty well finished the re-write. I've tried to be guided by proper academic and historical sources, and have been able to eliminate website references (which are very often hopelessly unreliable) almost entirely. I've been quite careful in attempting to comply with WP:V and WP:NOR and to reference every factual statement that could realistically be challenged. I hope you think it's an improvement. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 15:56, 18 February 2016 (UTC)
Great job. It's a really good article now. Many thanks - Jamie. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.123.210.215 ( talk) 10:41, 6 November 2017 (UTC)
Sorry, I am not used to working on Wikipedia, but I am the one who changed 6 December in 5 December for the date on which in the Netherlands we have Sinterklaas. On that date (5 December) children receive a present in their shoe. In fact that is the date of Sinterklaasavond (Eve of St. Nicolas). So on the evening of 5th December we give presents with self written rhyming poems (sinterklaasgedichten). So the festive event is on 5th December. So it is not on 6th December (which is or was, the official day to commemorate the holy man in the Roman Catholic church; however when the Sinterklaas tradition developed our country was protestant). It is a mistake to mention 6th December for Sinterklaas. In the Netherlands, this is common knowledge. Any child believing in Sinterklaas knows his festive day is on 5 December. Just look at wikipedia: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas I hope this helps you. best regards, Jurn Buisman (Netherlands) jaw@buisman.net — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.57.122.147 ( talk) 22:04, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
Father Christmas as a gift giver predates "Santa Claus". I know that most of the British editors of Wikipedia are morons who often through ignorance despise their own culture, even to the point of thinking that Halloween itself is "American", but Jesus this one should be pretty obvious. 213.107.51.24 ( talk) 12:21, 22 December 2022 (UTC)
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Is Santa real?
What is Father Christmas's name in other languages?
Chloe age 6
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Someone has added a whole bunch of Irish/Santa Claus links. I'm not sure I see the relevance of these links apart from someone attempting to push their own political agenda. The page already has a link the Santa Claus page. Any Santa Claus references should be added to that page. I dread to think that someone has added these links to introduce the Ireland/UK debate/argument onto the page. Anyone object to me removing the Irish Santa Claus links? Dbnull 15:11, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
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Suggestion to add a link to the Green Man, there are legends that claim Father Christmas derives from the Green Man. Hence, his original apparel being Green robes. Dbnull 15:43, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
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Wow, for such a prominent article, this needs work. Can anybody provide any sources on this pagan origin? Like, for example, whether it was Anglo-Saxon or Celtic? -- Saforrest 22:10, 23 December 2005 (UTC)
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I read the article and it did not make sense as written. What it says was Father X, Santa & St. Nicolas are the same thing - but they are completely different. I hope the addition makes sense. I was tempted to put in the Danish for father Christmas as Julman (I think that's how its spelt) - however I don't know the history.
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I think it makes perfect sense. Father Christmas and Santa Claus perform the same role, but have different origins.
-- Greasysteve13 09:50, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
No, there are very distinct differences between the 2 figures. Santa Claus has origins from a religious context, Father Christmas has origins from a pagan context. They may have many similarities as their roles have merged through cultural merging over time, but they are distinct figures. As an encyclopedia it would be misleading to join the articles; people searching for information on either figure would be presented with a single article trying to differentiate the two. Maybe, a separate article (disambiguation) could be written that tackles precisely the differences between the two. Each article for Santa Claus and Father Christmas deserves to link to each other, but I would vote against merging the two articles into one. Dbnull 15:02, 8 June 2006 (UTC)
It's hard to justify not merging, given the current state of the article. There is evidence of some early use of the term "Father Christmas" as a personification of the feast, and this personification seems similar to the current character. However, there's nothing substantial about a tradition. This evidence could be incorporated into the Santa article as "predecessor" information. But I think for nationalistic reasons people will campaign for a separate page.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 23:29, 22 December 2012 (UTC)
Hi - in the text it refers to Father Christmas living at the North Pole, in Canada. Traditionally in Britain, Father Christmas lives in Lapland, doesn't he? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.166.171.72 ( talk) 10:05, 18 December 2013 (UTC)
Are you sure? As far as I was aware the North Pole was an American thing. Maybe I am mistaken! Cheers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.166.171.72 ( talk) 09:25, 20 December 2013 (UTC)
What do they say in Scotland then?-- Greasysteve13 06:06, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
I am Irish (republic) and I have never heard an Irish child call him Father Christmas. The usual term used among English-speakers in Ireland is Santa Claus, Santa or Santy. This is the standard in the mass media here, too. Of course, many Irish children know that "Father Christmas" is what the English call Santa, because they hear that term on British television channels, but it is not well established in popular usage. Mind you, it may well be that children and media in Northern Ireland use the traditional English term. As stated elsewhere, the name "Daidí na Nollag", meaning literally "Daddy of Christmas", is used in Irish Gaelic. I wonder what he's called in Scots Gaelic? And what do the Welsh call him, in English or Welsh? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Julemand ( talk • contribs) 11:22, 19 November 2007 (UTC)
Apology accepted. I understand your point, but we are not the guardian of culture, any more than we are here to provide a highlight to the ills and injustices of the world. Our task is to document those parts of it that someone else has chosen to guard or illuminate, remaining neutral in the process. - Arcayne (cast a spell) 16:11, 26 December 2008 (UTC)
Yeah, I live in England, and "Santa Claus" is used a lot now. 80.41.116.173 ( talk) 11:48, 26 May 2009 (UTC)
I am in my 50s from Scotland. Father Christmas has never been used only Santa (Claus). We are all aware in Scotland that Father Christmas is a regional English term. The British media bash on about it but is a purely English term. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.146.145.22 ( talk) 18:31, 25 December 2017 (UTC)
Please change the picture - use the Father Christmas from The LIon, the Witch, and the Wardrobe instead, I beseech! Das Baz 15:58, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
The image on the page at the moment is the traditional American one of Santa, not that of Father Christmas. Can we find a more appropriate one?-- MichaelMaggs 17:33, 20 September 2006 (UTC)
Indeed, that image is labelled as 'a classic American image of Santa Claun' on the Santa Article. I've replaced it with the woodcut; it may not look much like people picture Father Christmas nowadays but at least it is him. Mon Vier 19:10, 3 October 2006 (UTC)
Multiple links to that Dawn Coperman web article are hardly adequate citation for a claim of pagan origins. Coperman gives no references at all for her claims of a Saxon 'King Winter' or 'King Frost' figure. And a link to a Google Book search with the word 'pagan' highlighted is likewise hardly adequate. Cavalorn 19:04, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
previous claims within the history section that evidence of father christmas having pagan origins are scarce, and unlikely are unsourced and not backed up by its citations and personally motivated seeing that this article only had two contrary citations. i have researched and changed this section so as not to be a POV rant. and have specified all pagan origins as just "characteristic" influences to father christmas. which is worthy of the history section. Some thing 19:14, 11 April 2007 (UTC)
The page says that "Father Christmas" is used in Australia. I was born in Australia, and have lived here all my life, and have very rarely heard people call him "Father Christmas". We call him "Santa" in Australia. Both names are understood to mean the same 'person' but "Father Christmas" is rarely used. It is similar to the American "Flashlight" and Australian "Torch". Both are the same thing, and we understand both to mean the same thing, but we use "Torch". So back to the point, why does this page say that Australia uses "Father Christmas", and where is the 'evidence' for it? --- 60.240.5.123 01:04, 20 December 2006 (UTC)
The term 'Father Christmas' is used in translation in many countries
I don't understand what this sentence is supposed to mean ? And maybe these names should be ordered to depict their meaning, like this, for exemple:
Father Christmas: Brazil ("Papai Noel"), Bulgaria ("Dyado Koleda"), France and French Canada ("le Père Noël"),
Saint Nicholas: Hungary ("Mikulás"), Malta ("San Niklaw"),Poland ("Święty Mikołaj"),
Old man of Christmas: Latvia ("Ziemassvētku vecītis"), Lithuania ("Kalėdų Senelis"),
Child Jesus: Mexico ("El Niñito Dios" ("Child God", meaning Jesus)).
Father Frost: Russia ("Ded Moroz"), Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Deda Mraz"); Removed the Father Frost from the Czech Republic info, as it is clearly a Russian tradition. Many Czechs are aware of the existence of the Father Frost, but this is mainly because they are fond of this Russian fairy-tale film "Mrazik" which is on the TV every Christmas. Arguably, there will be merely an insignificant minority of children in the Czech Republic, who actually receive their gifts from this character.
Multiple names used: Spain and some of Spanish-speaking Latin America ("Papá Noel" or "San Nicolás" or "Santa Claus" ), Germany ("Weihnachtsmann" or "Nikolaus"), 'Father Christmas' (and in some cases baby Jesus) is used in preference to 'Santa' in Afghanistan ("Baba Chaghaloo")
Futhermore, althought this information is very interesting, I doubt it should be here - it lists every gift bringing character like Child Jesus, but article is on Father Christmas, maybe it should be in seperate article ? --
Xil/
talk 14:44, 24 December 2006 (UTC)
The Danish name, "Julemanden", could be translated literally as "the Yule man" or "the Christmas man". No reference to "father".
I find it strange that the Finnish Joulupukki is simply referred to in the article by the translated name, unlike many of the others. We call him Joulupukki, not The Yule Goat.
Vierase (
talk) 08:10, 1 June 2012 (UTC)
Some of the names for other countries/ Languages provided do not translate to "father Christmas" or "baby jesus". Some of these figures are not even connected with Christmas, but with other dates, like new year's eve, instead. The last paragraph should be modified to reflect this.
The only source for this is an about.com article which gives no sources or indeed any attempts to back up its assertions. It looks suspiciously like a retrospective creation, along the lines of Margaret Murray or Gerald Gardner. Is there a better source for this? Mon Vier 12:26, 18 April 2007 (UTC)
Thank you so very much for getting rid of that stupid illustration and putting in a much better one! A trillion blessings on whoever did it! Erudil 20:49, 28 April 2007 (UTC)
I've removed the reference to Gladman's Insurrection, because Gladman was crowned as the Lord of Misrule, not as any equivalent of 'Father Christmas':
"The subsequent defence alleged that the procession was but a Shrovetide sporting, and that Gladman was merely 'crowned as Kyng of Crestemesse'; the riot, however, took place at the end of January, six weeks before any Shrovetide mummery was due; possibly Gladman, who seems to have played the part of 'King of Misrule' annually at the Shrovetide carnival, put on his 'property robes' in a spirit of semijesting riotousness, and was then carried by the temper of the mob further than he had intended." (From britishhistory.ac.uk)
The Lord_of_Misrule is a completely different figure from Father Christmas, and has his own Wikipedia entry. Cavalorn ( talk) 14:21, 26 November 2007 (UTC)
Father Christmas vs. Weihnachtsmann (Santa) vs. Nikolaus vs. Babbo Natale ...
at the part "Names in various countries" there ist listet in Germany "Weihnachtsmann" or "Nikolaus". thats def. wrong! the nikolaus (english: Saint Nicholas) is not the weihnachtsmann (english: Santa Claus) - (i will change this later on. perhaps there are also mistakes in other languages ...???). also the polish, russian and other entries of this list are doubtful. (and the inter-wiki-links too). a merging of "Santa Claus" and "Father Christmas" perhaps would be the better way ... hmm. ? thanx, 80.89.110.48 ( talk) 16:40, 6 December 2007 (UTC) (this edit was done by Enlarge ( talk) 10:45, 7 December 2007 (UTC), resigned)
This seems somewhat irrelevant to me. It would be interesting if the works were comparable, but The Father Christmas Letters were never meant for publication. The fact that a character used by Lewis in fiction designed for public consumption appears in writings which Tolkien produced purely for his family's benefit is surely neither here nor there. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.149.221.148 ( talk) 00:17, 18 December 2007 (UTC) It is here and it is there, Sam I am. He wrote those letters for his children, but they were published as a book for everybody eventually. Das Baz, aka Erudil 20:07, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
DBachmann was making a few edits and drew my attention to the fact that there is another article for Santa Claus. The two are interchangeable terms for the same person, and a lot of the information from one article is duplicated in the other. I think that both articles would be better served by merging the two and contrasting the differences of interpretation. Any merger of course would have the appropriate redirects. Because we are moving into that season, this should probably be acted upon after a moderate amount of discussion. I've initiated this same discussion over at the Santa Claus article. Thoughts? - Arcayne (cast a spell) 14:40, 25 November 2008 (UTC)
"The same figure with the same name exists in other countries (in that country's language), such as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Romania (Romance countries)."
The above paragraph is someone's point of view...yes they do have names with similar meanings however to claim they are the same character is heavily biased as Father Christmas is as much like the Italian version as he is like the American Santa Claus. The above should be changed to something more easily sourced and less biased. Merry Yule! Sigurd Dragon Slayer ( talk) 16:28, 11 December 2008 (UTC)
"Father Christmas often appears as a large elderly aged male often around 60 to 70 years old. He is dressed in either a red or green snowsuit trimmed with white fur, a matching hat and dark boots. Often he carries a large brown sack filled with toys on his back"
I'd agree with the elderly man, and the sack of toys, but my childhood (only 30-odd years ago) memory of Father Christmas is that he typically wore a long red gown, and a hooded riding-cloak trimmed with white fur. The jaunty bobble-cap, and the two-piece jacket-and-trousers suit (which is what I assume is meant by "snow suit") is, to me, typical of the modern hybridisation with the (essentially, in British culture) American Santa Claus. Green I don't remember at all - possibly a reference to Dickens' "Spirit of Christmas Present" in "A Christmas Carol", who wears a green cloak? But I can't find sources, not even a snap of me sitting on the knee of a department store "Father Christmas" in the mid-seventies, which I'm sure would prove my point about the appearance of Father Christmas back then being (apart from colour scheme) different to that of the modern Santa. Ghughesarch ( talk) 23:53, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
Nast did not invent the red-suited Santa Claus at all. There were illustrations pre-nast depicting Santa as wearing a red suit. The article is correct in that the Coca-Cola myth is ridiculous fiction, but the assertion that Nast conjured up the red-suited Santa is every bit as dubious and typical of the reprehensible lack of fact-checking so prevalent on this could-be-terrific website. — Preceding
unsigned comment added by
174.63.71.96 (
talk) 19:35, 25 December 2011 (UTC)
The link to a BBC page supposedly showing that the red clothes/Coca Cola is an urban myth doesn't say anything at all about urban myths. I've moved the link to an earlier part of the sentence. Thomas Peardew ( talk) 10:43, 5 December 2014 (UTC)
Listen if a little kid reads this he'll burst out crying (followed by a possible suicide =]) No I really mean it. ←Kala jan→ 22:31, 26 January 2009 (UTC)
I noticed that Russia and at least one other member of the USSR have the communist Father Winter or Father Frost associated with New Years Day. This is quite interesting and should be explained. I would expect that Christmas itself is making a comeback in those nations. Kitfoxxe ( talk) 19:04, 1 December 2009 (UTC)
'Father Christmas typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, but was neither a gift bringer, nor particularly associated with children. The pre-modern representations of the gift-giver from church history namely Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas and folklore, merged with the British character Father Christmas, to create the character known to Americans as Santa Claus. Like Santa Claus, Father Christmas has been identified with the old belief in Woden (Odin to the Norse)[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11].'
'Father Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century in Britain, and pictures of him survive from that era, portraying him as a well-nourished bearded man dressed in a long green fur-lined robe. He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, and was reflected as the "Ghost of Christmas Present" in the Charles Dickens's classic A Christmas Carol, a great genial man in a green coat lined with fur, who takes Ebenezer Scrooge through the bustling streets of London on Christmas morning, sprinkling the essence of Christmas onto the happy populace.' —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sweetie candykim ( talk • contribs) 13:05, 8 December 2009 (UTC)
Then
'Appearance
"Father Christmas" is often synonymous with Santa Claus.Father Christmas often appears as a large man, often around 70 years old. He is dressed in a red or green snowsuit trimmed with white fur, a matching hat and dark boots. Often he carries a large brown sack filled with toys on his back.'
If he wasn't a gift bringer why did he have toys on his back? Sweetie candykim ( talk) 12:59, 8 December 2009 (UTC)
I have doubts on the interpretations this article is giving about the 15th century carols. Rather than "personnifications" of some abstract notion, could not these "sire Christësmas" be alternative names for Child Jesus ?
"My lord" and "our king" are traditional titles for Jesus, aren't they ?
Doesn't "your coming" refer to the coming of Jesus, celebrated on Christmas ?
If so, I do not think we can use these carols as evidence of the existence of a "Father Christmas" who is a character distinct from Jesus.
Teofilo talk 18:00, 20 December 2009 (UTC)
I did a new section on this article about where he appears on Films. So far I got Elf and The Polar Express. Those are my 2 favourites with Santa Claus-- Father Christmas95 ( talk) 18:22, 26 December 2009 (UTC)
I have just finished watching an episode of QI in which it was claimed that Father Christmas died on 30 May 1564. Christmas being a common name in Essex and the title "Father" being attributed to anyone old where their first name was not known. The death is apparently recorded in the Register of Deaths in the church at Dedham, Essex. I wouldn't know how to begin to find a satisfactory source for this, but I'm sure someone can - and it should be included in this article. 86.16.134.133 ( talk) 19:44, 11 April 2010 (UTC)
Much of the history section has no definitive connection to Father Christmas (carols, Dickens etc). And the pagan argument is very thin. As belief in Woden died out a thousand years before the appearance of Father Christmas, it's hard to credit that theory. There are a lot of benevolent old men with white beards in world folklore, but that doesn't make them all precursors of FC.
While it wasn't released for publication at the time, the fact is that in the 1920s JRR Tolkein began writing the Father Christmas Letters with a main character very much in the mould of Santa Claus which we know today. There is no indication of how this arose.
Moreover, there is no serious indication of how the tradition of Father Christmas differs from Santa Claus.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 08:12, 25 April 2011 (UTC)
There seems no justification for claiming that the Ghost of Christmas Present from A Christmas Carol is Father Christmas. He looks more like a representation of Bacchus in the illustration. The claim seems motivated by a desire to prove the Coca Cola Conspiracy, given the emphasis on his green cloak. Similarly the Ben Jonson character is a personification of Christmas but not in itself a representation of Father Christmas. The same is true for the carols.
The article could mention that there were several personifications of Christmas, but to give them so much prominence is misleading. I think the picture should go.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 07:48, 22 May 2011 (UTC)
I'm not a stickler for Wikipedia rules, but this is a bad example of original research. Editors are trying to uncover an English tradition of Father Christmas by collecting a wide range of folklore, fiction etc which isn't particularly relevant. I think there are 2 courses of action: (1) only keep genuine mentions of Father Christmas, or (2) find a secondary source which links all this stuff together as the figure's prehistory.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 21:36, 27 December 2011 (UTC)
I've lived in Australia my entire life(born 1993) and I've never heard anyone refer to Father Christmas as Santa Claus. Everyone I know calls him Father Christmas. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 182.239.159.52 ( talk) 11:33, 9 November 2012 (UTC)
That's right. To say "Father Christmas" in Australia sounds British, old-fashioned, and possibly high class. "Santa" on the other hand could be derided as Americanisation. However, it has been used in Australian Xmas songs like "Santa Never Made it into Darwin" (1975) and "Six White Boomers" (1960).-- Jack Upland ( talk) 05:08, 9 December 2012 (UTC)
The history section is much better now, but paradoxical. We have good evidence for FC emerging in the 1600s, but nothing more until a few brief mentions in the 19th century, and then he emerges in the 20th century as a replica of Santa Claus. Surely there must be something in between.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 05:01, 26 December 2012 (UTC)
I'm afraid I don't think the Times letter is a very good source. It isn't clear what tradition the writer is alluding to, if any. And as discussed before, I don't see how Dickens is relevant. In fact, I would tend to believe that FC is merely a copy of the American Santa Claus, except for those 17th century references.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 22:53, 26 December 2012 (UTC)
All this is very speculative. For all we know the letter-writer just made up the pseudonym and wasn't referring to any tradition at all.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 23:16, 27 December 2012 (UTC)
The history section is very light on the origin of the story/tradition. I can see from this talk page that there used to be some discussion of possible pagan origins, but this has evidently been deleted since (which is probably a shame). Effort should be put into fleshing out exactly why the story of an old man associated with Christmas - who ISNT Santa Claus - should exist. While I don't think that merging with Santa Clause would aid that, I do think that there needs to be some over-arching discussion of Christmas folklore characters. Fig ( talk) 10:58, 27 December 2012 (UTC)
I think you're generalising from a few scraps of information. There must be other evidence out there. The history section is very weak as it stands, as discussed above. But I agree it is highly unlikely that FC could have pagan origins. (The same is true for Santa, though, if you analyse the evidence.)-- Jack Upland ( talk) 23:11, 27 December 2012 (UTC)
It's actually tantalising. Without the 17C references, I would say he was a nineteenth century creation, probably linked with Santa Claus. Given that, can we say he didn't exist before the 17C? No, we can't. The Barclay Fox reference should be given more prominence. I think the 1840s is too early for American or Continental influence on British popular culture. It sounds like a native tradition. But where does it come from??? Where is the evidence of the earlier tradition? With regard to the 17C, I think you're overemphasising the "literary" nature of this. Literature can reflect popular tradition. Shakespeare did it all the time. The 17C literary references are close enough to today's FC to believe there is a continuous tradition. But we need evidence of this.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 09:14, 28 December 2012 (UTC)
I've now been able to see that book. Unfortunately, FC only appears to be mentioned on the title page. The phrase appears as a kind of subtitle, not as part of Ch 6. It appears to relate to the first chapter which laments the stinginess of gentry at Xmas compared with earlier days. "FC" seems to be a figure of speech, rather than a figure of folklore, rather like "Lady Luck" or "Jack Frost". This appears to be the case with the quote from "Time's Telescope" as well. It is just a fanciful way of saying Xmas...-- Jack Upland ( talk) 08:03, 9 January 2013 (UTC)
I've found the same with Australian newspapers (for what it's worth). FC appears fully formed as a folkloric figure in the later stages of the 19th century, Santa Claus under another name. I'll add a reference in for "Round About the Coal Fire". I think you're right about the old fashioned part: "Father Christmas" harks back to the good old days. And the phrase does seem to be a peg on which to hang social criticism, which is not uncommon with personifications. I do think you should expand on that Barclay Fox reference (if you have the source) because that seems pivotal in the transformation.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 08:59, 10 January 2013 (UTC)
Todays Santa is from the 1931 Coca Cola advert. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.101.239.144 ( talk) 23:39, 27 December 2012 (UTC)
The second picture in the article shows a Victorian card with a depiction of an English Father Christmas? Well, granted he's got a greenish robe and treats for the good kids - but his robe seems made of animal skins and he's also carrying a birch rod. So he's technically more a Belsnickel. He's a good example of the ongoing synthesis between imported German/American traditions of a gift-bringer, and the native English personification of Christmas. RLamb ( talk) 09:38, 27 December 2015 (UTC)
Whether other, earlier references/illustrations exist I don't know. I'm better at searching old newspaper databases than image collections.
Obviously the 17th c pamphlet illustration shows FC in a robe, but that just seems typical gear of the period for an older man of the gentry class. Barclay Fox's 1840-ish Father Christmas effigy made for the kids' party wears a scarlet coat and cocked hat - a get-up that baffled me, because I hadn't seen any references to mumming plays when I read it. Now I suspect Fox had seen a mummers' Father Christmas, because the villagers who did mumming plays had very little in the way of costume and a soldier's scarlet coat was a prized object. The cocked hat would be literally old-hat by the 1840s, so appropriate wear for an 'old man' character.
Until at least the 1970s I would say Father Christmas was often depicted wearing a loose scarlet robe trimmed with white fur. Now I think the Santa Suit is universal. I can put this in a talk page but not in the article. RLamb ( talk) 11:15, 30 December 2015 (UTC)
There are currently two intertwined problems with the article. Firstly, as pointed out several times, there is no clear-cut distinction with the Santa Claus article. Secondly, as discussed above, there is an attempt in the article to establish (or concoct) the distinction between the two characters: for example, by claiming that Dickens mentioned Father Christmas in A Christmas Carol. This is not neutral. Some people claim there is a distinction. I haven't been able to find any hard evidence. The overwhelming verdict of sources is that Santa Claus and Father Christmas are synonymous. Therefore, the dilemma at the moment is that either this article is merged with the Santa article or it is non-neutral because it asserts on dubious evidence (or none at all) that the two characters are separate.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 11:41, 27 December 2015 (UTC)
I disagree. The primary sources quoted in the article show there were continuous references to Father Christmas from at least the late 16th c., and that he personified aspects of English cultural life - mainly, neighbourly feasting and charity to others at Christmas. This was long before he took on the attributes of the children's gift-bringer of German/American folklore. If it could be shown he only derived from Santa Claus he could be a sub-section of that article. But he didn't. The primary sources show he pre-dates Santa, and current references indicate he is still a cultural meme in England today, appearing under his own name in books, films and department stores. Why have you got this thing about merging him, are you in Santa's pay? Merry Christmas to you too. RLamb ( talk) 09:40, 28 December 2015 (UTC)
I doubt that it is often said that the red suit comes from Coca Cola. Are there any sources for that claim, other than the Coca Cola company itself? Royalcourtier ( talk) 05:14, 29 December 2015 (UTC)
I have removed the citation William J. Federer (2002). "There Really Is a Santa Claus: The History of St. Nicholas & Christmas Holiday Traditions" p. 39. Amerisearch, Inc., 2002, and the text it is said to support, as the book hardly appears to be a reliable source for the subject matter of this article. The book is very US-centric (around 80% is taken up with copies of US presidents' Christmas addresses over the years). The author has very little to say on Father Christmas, dedicating just two paragraphs to him out of 340 pages. The relevant section reads in its entirety as follows:
King Henry VIII, like Martin Luther, recognised the importance people placed on Christmas traditions, but instead of bringing the focus back to the "Christ Child", he introduced a character known as "Father Christmas", which was a reintroduction of "Saturn", the Roman god of plenty. He was pictured as a large man clothed in deep green or scarlet robes lined with fur, bringing peace, joy, good food, wine and revelry, similar to the "spirit of Christmas present" in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. At this time of year, the ancient Romans celebrated "Saturnalia" honoring the pagan deity with a season of merriment, feasting, gift-giving and mending of relationships. Since England no longer kept Saint Nicholas's feast day on December 6th, they moved their "Father Christmas" celebration to December 25th to coincide with Christmas day.
The claim that Henry VIII introduced Father Christmas as a fully-realised figure similar to the one described by Dickens but based on the Roman god is astonishing. If true, I would have expected other sources to mention it. I know of no historic or scholarly source that does so. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 14:35, 4 January 2016 (UTC)
Some of the deleted material citing Federer is not actually mentioned in that source at all. It may be possible to add some of it back if other sources can be found. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 14:46, 4 January 2016 (UTC)
The Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore seems to have some good material, according to this website. I have ordered a copy, and will do some more editing when it arrives. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 15:04, 4 January 2016 (UTC)
According to the current article, the 4th edition (1732) of the "Round About our Coal Fire" chapbook includes the subtitle "With memoirs of old Father Christmas; shewing what hospitality was in former times, and how little of it there remains at present". However, the original reprinted text of that edition, a facsimile copy of which can be downloaded as a free ebook, does not mention FC at all, even in the title. The actual title is simply "Round about our Coal Fire: or, Christmas Entertainments". The latter title is shown on the Amazon UK site, but Amazon US - selling apparently the same facsimile of the same edition - adds the extra Father Christmas mention. I'm assuming that the editions are in fact slightly different, but in the absence of anything more than a title which mentions FC, the reference hardly seems to add much to this article. I have removed the text and reference, but if anyone has access to a university or other academic library login which gives the full text of the FC version, please let me know. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 18:46, 18 January 2016 (UTC)
I've deleted the text quoted below on the grounds that these are essentially trivial mentions of FC that don't add anything to the historical account. There are hundred of such trivial occurrences of FC that could be included, and as the article is long enough already I think we should concentrate on only the more significant sources.
-- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 15:43, 21 January 2016 (UTC)
Does anyone have access to the Daily Telegraph archive? Apparently FC is mentioned in a leader of 25 December 1873. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 09:11, 2 February 2016 (UTC)
I've just looked through some 19th century English periodicals for depictions of Father Christmas. This seems to confirm this gist of what the article currently says. There are important differences with today's "Santa Claus" image:
For example, "A Musical Charade" (Routledge's Every Boy's Annual, 1871) describes "Old Father Christmas in a long white robe — beard — red face — crown of holly–berries — and big staff surmounted with evergreens". This does confirm the relevance of the "Christmas Carol" image, and does indicate that there is an English Father Christmas, after all. I have collected some references and images, but maybe the article is well-supplied with these already. I do think the article should be changed, though, because it implies that the depiction wasn't standardised in this period. I think it was standardised (apart from the colours), but elements of the standard were very different from today. Also, the text implies that the change happened after the 1840s, but I think it was more gradual than that.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 07:19, 4 February 2016 (UTC)
It appears that the two characters were never completely separate, even before they merged. The Santa Claus page says that SC partly derived from FC. This seems to be true, as the merry-making fat man image doesn't seem to come from Sinterklaas. For what it's worth, Thomas Nast's seminal illustration has a crown of holly. The English FC was clearly known in the USA. Rose Terry Cooke, who was an American, wrote a poem called "Christmas": "Here comes old Father Christmas, With sound of fife and drums; With mistletoe about his brows..." This sounds more like the FC of Merry England than SC. I don't know the date, but I saw it in an English periodical from 1876.-- Jack Upland ( talk) 06:12, 5 February 2016 (UTC)
Actually note Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843) illustration of "Christmas Present". The artist. Leech, originally gave him a red robe - which Dickens rejected (the original watercolour in in New York now [2]). The book cover itself, however, was red - that colour has been long associated with the season, and the title page is in green and red. Dickens also covers the room in greenery - echoing the introduction of the "Christmas tree" in England just three years prior. It appears the fat ghost is an archetype of Santa Claus. The clay pipe is Dutch in origin, not from Coca Cola ads <g>, tough other cultures also seem to show "jolly people" smoking pipes, so that is not clear-cut. Reindeer? Certainly pre-1821. Possibly from Scandinavian traditions, or via Canada. Collect ( talk) 09:46, 6 February 2016 (UTC)
No, not convinced! (emoji for sticking tongue out and waggling fingers in ears). Come on - the presence of Finns and Swedes in the 17th c. doesn't mean their descendants were still talking about ancestral transport methods in the early 19th c. Unless there's proof Finns and Swedes had a folklore tradition of a Christmas gift-bringer who used a reindeer-drawn sleigh? And that it was extant c. 1820 in the New York area among their descendants, or more recent immigrants. Otherwise Moore, or possibly Moore(?), could just have made it up as a piece of poetic whimsy. He might recently have been reading Scoresby's 'An account of the Arctic regions' (1820) which quotes a description of the inhabitants "travelling on the ice of the sea, in sledges drawn by rein-deer." Or not. It needs more research. But not by me :) I have to say I think this page has been improved hugely from what it was when I last contributed. Congratulations, especially to Michael Maggs. RLamb ( talk) 23:26, 6 February 2016 (UTC)
OK, I've pretty well finished the re-write. I've tried to be guided by proper academic and historical sources, and have been able to eliminate website references (which are very often hopelessly unreliable) almost entirely. I've been quite careful in attempting to comply with WP:V and WP:NOR and to reference every factual statement that could realistically be challenged. I hope you think it's an improvement. -- MichaelMaggs ( talk) 15:56, 18 February 2016 (UTC)
Great job. It's a really good article now. Many thanks - Jamie. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.123.210.215 ( talk) 10:41, 6 November 2017 (UTC)
Sorry, I am not used to working on Wikipedia, but I am the one who changed 6 December in 5 December for the date on which in the Netherlands we have Sinterklaas. On that date (5 December) children receive a present in their shoe. In fact that is the date of Sinterklaasavond (Eve of St. Nicolas). So on the evening of 5th December we give presents with self written rhyming poems (sinterklaasgedichten). So the festive event is on 5th December. So it is not on 6th December (which is or was, the official day to commemorate the holy man in the Roman Catholic church; however when the Sinterklaas tradition developed our country was protestant). It is a mistake to mention 6th December for Sinterklaas. In the Netherlands, this is common knowledge. Any child believing in Sinterklaas knows his festive day is on 5 December. Just look at wikipedia: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas I hope this helps you. best regards, Jurn Buisman (Netherlands) jaw@buisman.net — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.57.122.147 ( talk) 22:04, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
Father Christmas as a gift giver predates "Santa Claus". I know that most of the British editors of Wikipedia are morons who often through ignorance despise their own culture, even to the point of thinking that Halloween itself is "American", but Jesus this one should be pretty obvious. 213.107.51.24 ( talk) 12:21, 22 December 2022 (UTC)