British diplomat Andrew Overton notes that "British children will often leave out a mince pie and a nip of sherry to brace Father Christmas for the chill." In Ireland, things get jollier with a pint of Guinness (and that splash of whiskey that Mrs. Claus has ready when Santa gets home).
With 46% of the nation following traditions and saying a festive snack should be left out, it has long been customary for children across the UK to leave Santa a mince pie alongside a tipple of port or perhaps a glass of milk.
Many American children, for example, are known to leave milk, cookies, and the occasional reindeer-friendly snack, such as a carrot, but it's common for kids to leave Santa Claus a stronger drink — like beer or wine — in European countries such as France and Ireland.
According to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (19th edn, 2012), Father Christmas is considered to be "[a] British rather than a US name for Santa Claus, associating him specifically with Christmas.
And many other countries have their own special treats to leave for Santa and whatever animal pulls his sleigh. Children in the United Kingdom leave the holiday-favorite mince pie, Swedish kids leave a special Christmas-time rice porridge, and in Germany, the gift is instead a letter to Santa.
French adults rarely drink milk and will usually laugh at the idea of leaving a glass of milk for a grown man, even if he is Santa. At the very least, they'll joke and leave the guy a glass of Calvados or a wine. 4. Children do not hang stockings but rather leave their shoes and slippers by the fireplace.
The English folk figure "Father Christmas" originally wore green robes which eventually turned red over time. This was mainly due to St Nicholas, whose legend modern portrayals of Father Christmas are based on, often appearing in paintings and illustrations wearing red-coloured robes.
Our version of Santa is a busy man and has a lot of kids that he needs to provide for each year. So our girls limit their ask of him to four items: something they want, something they need, something to read, and something to wear.
Whisky comes next on the list at 9.6% – a perfect winter warmer that'll help him through a cold December night and see him rockin' around the Christmas tree in no time. And coming in as the second most popular tipple for Santa is beer at 10.4%.
Deriving from a tradition, the ritual is known as Secret Santa in the United States and the United Kingdom; as Kris Kringel or Kris Kindle in Ireland; as Wichteln, Secret Santa, Kris Kringle, Chris Kindle or Engerl-Bengerl in parts of Austria; as Secret Santa or Kris Kringle in Canada and Australia; as Secret Santa, ...
So, historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. After that, he shoots up to Japan, over to Asia, across to Africa, then onto Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central and South America.
In the UK, we often leave out mince pies, a carrot for the reindeer and a little sherry to help Santa on his merry way. In the US, milk and cookies are more traditional, and in Australia, he can even expect a refreshing ice-cold beer to help with the scorching heat of summer.
The 4 gift rule is very simple: you get each of your children something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. Depending on your kid's age, you might ask for their input on some or all of these gifts, or you might choose them all yourself.
What Is It? In the 5 Gift Rule, the first four gifts are the same - something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. In our house, these are the Santa Gifts and they're easy to do because we get to discuss them and put them into our Santa letters.
The English Father Christmas was now Santa Claus in all but name. Despite being invented by New Yorkers hankering after old Dutch traditions, Santa was exactly the kind of hero the Victorians needed for their new, family-friendly Christmas.
Regionally, 62% of children from London still believe that Father Christmas is real, whilst up in Scotland, it's the opposite – 64% responded that their children no longer believe, no-nonsense will be taken from the Scots.
First of all, just saying Happy Christmas is a very common phrase and a very simple and easy way to be polite and to give someone your best wishes. But there are other ways to express this. Season's Greetings – This is a simple phrase and is often used as a welcoming phrase.
This image originated in the United States during the 19th century, after Dutch settlers brought the legend of Sinterklaas ("Saint Nicholas") to 17th-century New Amsterdam (present-day New York City).
In most countries, it seems Santa arrives between 9:00 p.m. and midnight on Christmas Eve. If children are still awake when Santa arrives, he moves on to other houses.
The average age that children stop believing in Santa is eight. There's a huge amount of variation though — some kids will report it around four or five, some are closer to 12 or 13.
Countries in which Christmas is not a formal public holiday include Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (excepting Hong Kong and Macau), the Comoros, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, the Maldives, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, the Sahrawi Republic, ...
You see, kids are too young to understand the truth Santa Claus until they are as old as you are. The truth is that Santa Claus isn't a person, it is an idea. Think of all of the presents Santa gave you over the years.
The Passion is the story of an execution, and the Stations of the Cross trace the path of a Dead Man Walking. Less well known is the fact that Saint Nicholas, the early Christian saint who inspired Santa Claus, was once a prisoner, like one in every 100 Americans today.
