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Father Christmas

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For the song by The Kinks, see Father Christmas (song). For the book by Raymond Briggs, see Father Christmas (graphic novel). For the animated film based on the book by Raymond Briggs, see Father Christmas (1991 film).
Excerpt from Josiah King's The Examination and Tryal of Father Christmas (1686), published shortly after Christmas was reinstated as a holy day in England.

Father Christmas is the name used in many English-speaking countries outside the United States, and Canada for a figure associated with Christmas. A similar figure with the same name (in other languages) exists in several other countries, including France (Père Noël), Spain (Papá Noel, Padre Noel), Russia (Ded Moroz, Grandfather Frost), almost all Hispanic South America (Papá Noel), Brazil (Papai Noel), Portugal (Pai Natal), Italy (Babbo Natale), Armenia (Kaghand Papik), India (Christmas Father), Andorra (Pare Noel), Romania (Moş Crăciun) and Turkey (Noel Baba) .

In the English-speaking world, the character called "Father Christmas" influenced the development in the United States of Santa Claus, and in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, most people now consider them to be interchangeable. However, although "Father Christmas" and "Santa Claus" have for most practical purposes been merged, historically the characters have different origins and are not identical.

Father Christmas is often said to reside at the North Pole or less commonly, in the mountains of Korvatunturi in Lapland, Finland.

History

The specific depiction of Christmas as a merry old man begins in the early 17th century.[1]

In Ben Jonson's creation in Christmas his Masque[2] dating from December 1616, in which Christmas appears "attir'd in round Hose, long Stockings, a close Doublet, a high crownd Hat with a Broach, a long thin beard, a Truncheon, little Ruffes, white shoes, his Scarffes, and Garters tyed crosse", and announces "Why Gentlemen, doe you know what you doe? ha! would you ha'kept me out? Christmas, old Christmas?" Later, in a masque by Thomas Nabbes, The Springs Glorie produced in 1638, "Christmas" appears as "an old reverend gentleman in furred gown and cap".[3]. A book dating from the time of the Commonwealth, The Vindication of CHRISTMAS or, His Twelve Yeares' Observations upon the Times (London, 1652),[4] involved "Old Christmas" advocating a merry, alcoholic Christmas and casting aspersions on the charitable motives of the ruling Puritans. In a similar vein a humorous pamphlet of 1686 by Josiah King presents "Father Christmas" as the personification of festive traditions pre-dating the puritan commonwealth. He is described as an elderly gentleman of cheerful appearance, "who when he came look't so smug and pleasant, his cherry cheeks appeared through his thin milk white locks, like (b)lushing Roses vail'd with snow white Tiffany". His character is associated with feasting, merry-making and generous hospitality rather than the giving of gifts.[5]

The character continued to appear over the next 250 years, appearing as Sir Christmas, Lord Christmas or Father Christmas, though by the 19th century the latter title had become the most common. A writer in "Time's Telescope" (1822) states that in Yorkshire at eight o'clock on Christmas Eve the bells greet "Old Father Christmas" with a merry peal, the children parade the streets with drums, trumpets, bells, (or in their absence, with the poker and shovel, taken from their humble cottage fire), the yule candle is lighted, and; "High on the cheerful fire. Is blazing seen th' enormous Christmas brand."[6] A letter to The Times in 1825, warning against poultry-dealers dishonestly selling off sub-standard geese at Christmas time, is jokingly signed "Father Christmas".[7]

Although originally associated with adult feasting and drinking, since the Victorian era,[8] Father Christmas has gradually merged with the pre-modern gift giver St Nicholas (Dutch Sinterklaas, hence Santa Claus) and associated folklore. Nowadays he is often called Santa Claus but also often referred to in Britain as Father Christmas: the two names are synonyms. In Europe, Father Christmas/Santa Claus is often said to reside in the mountains of Korvatunturi in Lapland Province, Finland.

Traditionally,[when?] Father Christmas comes down the chimney to put presents under the Christmas tree or in children's rooms, in their stockings. Some families leave a glass of sherry or mulled wine, mince pies, biscuits, or chocolate and a carrot for his reindeer near the stocking(s) as a present for him. In modern homes without chimneys he uses alternative means to enter the home. In some homes children write Christmas lists (of wished-for presents) and send them up the chimney or post them.

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 suit trimmed with white fur, often girdled with a wide black belt, a matching hat, often long and floppy in nature, and dark boots. Often he carries a large brown sack filled with toys on his back (rarely, images of him have a beard but with no moustache[citation needed]). Urban myth has it that the red suit only appeared after the Coca Cola company started an advertising campaign depicting a red suited Father Christmas in the 1930s.[9] However, the red suit was used long before, including by American illustrator Thomas Nast.[10][11][12]

In fiction

Father Christmas appears in many English-language works of fiction, including Robin Jones Gunn's Father Christmas Series (2007), Catherine Spencer's A Christmas to Remember (2007), Debbie Macomber's There's Something About Christmas (2005), Richard Paul Evans's The Gift (2007), C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), Raymond Briggs's Father Christmas (1973) and the translation from French of Jean de Brunhoff's Babar and Father Christmas (originally Babar et le père Noël, 1941).

In music

See also

References

  1. ^ Although an earlier play by Elizabethan satirist Thomas Nashe, Summer's Last Will and Testament (1592), includes a character personifying Christmas, he is atypically presented as a stingy nobleman. Nashe is attacking wealthy Elizabethan gentry who avoid their traditional duty of feeding the poor at Christmastime.The play text online at Gutenberg.org
  2. ^ "Christmas, His Masque - Ben Jonson". Hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  3. ^ Nabbes, Thomas, "The Works of Thomas Nabbes", Benjamin Blom, Inc, New York, 1968 available online at Google Books [1]
  4. ^ "A Christmassy post | Mercurius Politicus". Mercuriuspoliticus.wordpress.com. 2008-12-21. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
  5. ^ The Examination and Tryal of Father Christmas" [2]
  6. ^ Dawson, William Francis (2007). The Project Gutenberg eBook, Christmas: Its Origin and Associations Project Gutenburg
  7. ^ FATHER CHRISTMAS. "Christmas Geese." Times [London, England] 24 December 1825: page 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 22 December 2012.
  8. ^ Diarist Barclay Fox refers to a children's party given 26 December 1842 featuring 'venerable effigies' of Father Christmas and the Old Year; '...Father Christmas with scarlet coat and cocked hat, stuck all over with presents for the guests...' R. L. Brett, ed., Barclay Fox's Journal, Bell and Hyman, London, 1979
  9. ^ "BBC - Father Christmas, green or red?". BBC News. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
  10. ^ Coke denies claims it bottled familiar Santa image, Jim Auchmutey, Rocky Mountain News, December 10, 2007.
  11. ^ "Santa's arrival lights up the Green".
  12. ^ Christmas in America - A History By Penne L. Restad.

External links

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