Father Christmas vs Santa Claus

Father Christmas is the British version of Santa Claus. He is an old jolly man with white hair, a beard and a moustache. He is dressed in a red suit outlined in white. Father Christmas and his elves make all the toys for Christmas in his home in the North Pole.

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The red coat is 'new'. Images of Father Christmas prior to about 1880 showed him with a green coat. The red became the most popular colour after the US introduction by Coca Cola during the 1930s.

History of Father Christmas in England

Father Christmas was originally part of an old English midwinter festival, normally dressed in green, a sign of the returning spring. He was known as 'Sir Christmas', 'Old Father Christmas' or Old Winter'.

In this earliest form, Father Christmas was not the bringer of gifts for small children, nor did he come down the chimney. He simply wandered around from home to home, knocking on doors and feasting with families before moving on to the next house.

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The Ghost of Christmas Present in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843) is based on Father Christmas. He is described as a large man with a red beard and fur-lined green robe. Images of Father Christmas (Santa Claus) dressed in red started appearing on Christmas cards in the late Victorian times.

Who is Santa Claus?

Santa Claus is based on a real person, St. Nicholas.

St. Nicholas, or Sinter Klaas in Dutch, was a very shy man and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire! This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children's stockings.

When the Dutch introduced Sinter Klaas to the Americans they called him Santa Claus.

What are the different names of Father Christmas/Santa Claus?

Father Christmas is called different names around the world. The most popular name now-a-days is Santa Claus.

Austria: Christkind ("Christ child")

Belgium: Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) and De Kerstman ("Father Christmas")

Canada: Santa Claus; Père Noël ("Father Christmas")

Denmark: Julemanden

Estonia: Jõuluvana

Finland: Joulupukki

France: Père Noël ("Father Christmas");

Germany: Weihnachtsmann ("Christmas Man"); Christkind in southern Germany

Hungary: Mikulás ("Nicholas"); Jézuska or Kis Jézus ("child Jesus")

Italy: Babbo Natale ("Father Christmas"); La Befana

Netherlands & Flanders: Sinterklaas

Norway: Julenissen

Poland: Swiety Mikolaj

Portugal: Pai Natal ("Father Christmas")

Russia: Ded Moroz, "Grandfather Frost

Spain: Papa Noel

Sweden: Jultomten

Switzerland: Samichlaus

United Kingdom: Father Christmas; Santa Claus

United States: Santa Claus

Source: www.projectbritain.com