Santa Claus v Father Christmas

The true identity of the white-bearded, red-robed figure who fills children's stockings at Christmas has long been debated. Thomas Ruys Smith sizes up the merry contenders

- Thomas Ruys Smith

Tis the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature is stirring... but someone is. While the household sleeps, a jolly visitor carefully places presents in stockings hung by the fireplace. After taking a sip of whatever tipple has been thoughtfully left out for him, he pockets a carrot and disappears up the chimney. With a tinkle of sleigh bells he disappears into the night with his faithful reindeer, a merry laugh echoing across the rooftops. It’s a familiar ritual - with one fundamental point of contention.

Who do you think it was that brought you these presents? Are you a Father Christmas fundamentalist or are you a Santa Claus supporter? Each figure has his passionate partisans, and each is wrapped up with issues of national and regional identity. A recent YouGov poll of around 4,000 British residents suggested that the UK is split right down the middle on the topic - though Santa enjoyed a narrow lead by a couple of percentage points.

What you may find surprising is that this isn’t a modern conundrum. In fact, the ongoing battle for seasonal supremacy has created a schism in British culture since the Victorian era. The forgotten history of the friendly rivalry between this pair of festive icons goes much further back, taking us on a transatlantic journey through popular culture to a time even before our modern celebration of Christmas was taking shape.

Nick of time

Let’s start at the beginning - or as close as we can get to it. The figure of Father Christmas is undoubtedly more venerable than Santa Claus - in English culture, at least. References to characters who served to personify the period of yuletide feasting and merrymaking can be traced back to at least the 15th century. But Father Christmas really emerged as a champion of the season when Christmas came under threat in Britain.