Today, Father Christmas closely resembles the American Santa; a jolly, well-nourished, white bearded man in a fur-lined robe. However, the traditional British Father Christmas still wears a green cloak, a wreath of holly or ivy, and carries a staff. In Spain, well-behaved children are visited by not one, but three men.
Although you will see the more popular, red-suited version of Santa on Christmas in the UK, the traditional British Father Christmas wears a hooded green cloak, a wreath of holly or ivy, and carries a staff.
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.
Children believe that Father Christmas or Santa Claus leaves presents in stockings or pillow-cases. These are normally hung up by the fire or by the children's beds on Christmas Eve. Children sometimes leave out mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas to eat and drink when he visits them.
Christmas In America And In United Kingdom Is Very Different
Is there a Santa figure in England?
He also carries a large sack of presents and manages to get down chimneys, despite eating millions of cookies left out for him on his journey. In the UK, he is known by two names – Father Christmas or Santa Claus – and will largely depend on your family traditions or the generation you belong to.
Over time, the character gradually took on many of the traits we're familiar with, including the appearance of an old man with a long beard and the title of 'Father Christmas'. His long green robes became a furred gown and cap, moving closer towards the outfit we recognise, but they retained their original colour.
And the first question after that, in the “People also ask” section, is: “Is Santa real or is it your parents?” The top response comes from the motherhood website Her View From Home. “The answer is no. We are not Santa. There is no one, single Santa.
This way Santa in 2023 is around 1,752 years old. Hard to believe, but it makes sense when you remember the origin of Saint Nicholas, a monk from the 4th century.
What does Santa Claus look like? Today's most common depiction of Santa Claus is of a portly white-bearded gentleman dressed in a red suit with a black belt and white fur trim, black boots, and a soft red cap with white fur trim.
Well the answer to that is simple, in the North Pole of course! Santa Claus lives and works in the North Pole, accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Claus, magical elves, and reindeers. Today, lap land has become a huge tourist destination for families seeking an up close view of Santa's home and workshops.
This varies slightly between countries in the UK, with kids in England believing in Santa until they're 8.03 years, and kids in Scotland believing until 8.58 years. No exact data was given for Wales or Northern Ireland.
In fact, when Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly in 1862, Santa was a small elflike figure who supported the Union. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red he's known for today.
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).
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.
You might be surprised to learn that Santa's birthday isn't on Christmas. Instead, Santa's birthday is on March 15 every year, according to SantaClaus.com.
While NORAD cannot confirm when Santa will be at each house, the organization says it does “know from history that it appears he arrives only when children are asleep!” That means between 9 p.m. and midnight on Christmas Eve in most countries, NORAD adds.
Should I tell my 12 year old that Santa isn't real?
While there is no perfect age to have this conversation, parents often start noticing their children becoming skeptical around eight, but this can vary. However, it may be beneficial to initiate the conversation before middle school. At this point, most of their peers will know the truth about Santa.
“Whilst there is no man in the sky riding a sleigh pulled by reindeer, Santa Claus isn't a completely made-up person—the inspiration behind this festive fellow stemmed from a monk, named Saint Nick, who was revered for his untold generosity and selflessness” the excerpt read.
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.
Prior to Nast's work, Santa's outfit was tan in color, and it was he that changed it to red, although he also drew Santa in a green suit. This change is often mistakenly attributed to the work of Haddon Sundblom, who drew images of Santa in advertising for the Coca-Cola Company since 1931.
