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What does Father Christmas mean in English?
Is Father Christmas the same as Santa Claus?
When was Father Christmas invented?
Who was 'St Christmas' & 'Father Christmas'?
Father Christmas is the traditional English name for the personification of Christmas. Although now known as a Christmas gift-bringer, and typically considered to be synonymous with Santa Claus, he was originally part of a much older and unrelated English folkloric tradition.
- The English Origins of Father Christmas. From his earliest days until the 19th century, Father Christmas was a strictly allegorical figure. He was a symbol of the Christmas season, rather than a mythical being.
- St Nicholas and Sinterklaas. Long before the symbol of Father Christmas emerged in England, the separate legend of Sinterklaas was gaining ground in Europe.
- Here Comes Santa Claus. It’s not entirely clear how Sinterklaas made his way across the Atlantic to North America to become Santa Claus. It's possible that his story made its way to the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, which later became New York.
- Father Christmas meets Santa Claus. Historians think that Santa Claus first stepped foot in England in 1864, when he featured alongside Father Christmas in a story by the American author Susanna Warner.
Santa Claus (also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, Santa and Santy) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve.
Dec 20, 2021 · St. Nicholas was a real person. The legend of Father Christmas can be traced back over a thousand years to a monk called St. Nicholas, who was born in 280 AD near Myra in modern-day Turkey. He was admired for his piety and kindness, and legend has it that he gave away all of his inherited wealth.
Dec 25, 2018 · From St. Nicholas to Santa Claus: the surprising origins of Kris Kringle. Santa Claus, Father Christmas, St. Nick—no matter the name, everyone knows the story of this plump, jolly, bringer of gifts.
- Brian Handwerk
- 3 min
But someone had to deliver presents to children at Christmas, so in the UK, particularly in England, he became 'St Christmas', 'Father Christmas' or 'Old Man Christmas', an old character from story plays during the middle ages in the UK and parts of northern Europe. In France, he was then known as 'Père Nöel'.
Dec 20, 2018 · The answer seems to be the Protestant Reformation and consequent changes in popular attitudes to the holiday. Thus, one of the first versions of the character “Christmas” who was explicitly stated to be old and a father was represented by Ben Jonson in Christmas, His Masque (1610).
