Free Republic

"The Christmas we get we deserve."

The concept of Santa and Sinterklaas arguably stems from Saint Nicholas, an early Christian bishop of Greek descent who had many miracles attributed to his intercession, but is also known for his generous practice of gift-giving. Father Christmas, however, is a completely different entity who was a Yule-tide visitor and not a gift-giver. Some sources suggest that he was originally a pagan figure who represented the coming of spring, or the Saxon “Father Time”, or even the Norse God Odin when he takes on the character of Jul, riding his eight-legged horse Sleipnir. He was first recorded in 15th century...

The very symbol of the traditional Christmas we all know and love may be up for a 'gender neutral' rebrand; yes, we are talking about Father Christmas. Unfortunately, for western traditions like Christmas, the emergence of terms like 'gender-fluidity' have fallen neatly into ‘threatening’ category, and as a result, we could now see Father Christmas being renamed to ‘Person Christmas.'

For centuries Christians have been taught that wise men from the east brought gifts for the baby Jesus, but according to polling, one in 10 young adults in Britain now believe that Father Christmas also makes an appearance in the Biblical account of the nativity. Significant numbers also think that Mary and Joseph might have brightened up the stable with a Christmas tree. Over a third of the public think that the Bible records December 25 as the date of the Jesus’ birth. …

1941: Santa in a Jeep “The panzer “Santa”, with well-filled sack of radios, books, cookies, and other gifts dear to soldiers hearts, glides up to the door of the barracks in Camp Lee’s Quartermaster Corps and it isn’t hampered by lack of snow in Virginia. Camp Lee, Virginia, Quartermaster Replacement Center” - US Army Center of Military History

A young man dressed as “Father Frost” – the Russian equivalent of Father Christmas – was stabbed to death in Tajikistan on Monday in an attack police believe was motivated by religious hatred, two police sources said. A crowd attacked 24-year-old Parviz Davlatbekov and stabbed him with a knife as he visited relatives in the early hours of Monday dressed as Father Frost, who by tradition brings Russian children presents at New Year. Russian cultural influence remains strong in Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic. “We have witness statements that say the crowd beat Parviz and stabbed him with a knife,...

THE museum set up by the French authorities to commemorate the D-Day landings is struggling under a mountain of debt amid a sharp decline in the number of visitors. The Memorial Museum in Caen, Normandy, has been accused of mismanagement for turning its back on the Second World War to concentrate on subjects from feminism to Father Christmas. In recent months the museum has focused efforts on transforming itself into a “place of reflection on the contemporary world”. “It’s ridiculous,” said Claude Quétel, who was sacked as the museum’s chief historian last year after protesting that it had fallen victim...

DNA search for 'father' Christmas By Paul Rincon BBC News science reporter A team of scientists in Oxford is trying to prove whether families with the rare surname of "Christmas" all descend from a single male ancestor. They want to study the DNA of men from different Christmas clans to see if they are linked by a common genetic heritage as well as by their surnames. Bryan Sykes of Oxford Ancestors hopes to do this by studying the male, or Y, chromosomes of volunteers. The work is part of wider research on the links between surnames and DNA. DNA analysis...

Father Christmas: Health Report Every year, as Christmas approaches, Santa Claus visits his local health centre for a check-up. We have had exclusive sight of his doctor's report. It raises serious questions about whether this year's toy deliveries can be guaranteed. First, the railways, then the floods and now this! Name: Mr S. Claus, aka Father Christmas, St Nicholas, St Nick Age: approx 1,720 (born c. 280 AD) Marital status: Single, but lives with numerous elves and several animal companions Nationality: Originally from Asia Minor, now lives at North Pole Occupation: An early Christian bishop turned toy-deliverer. Also the patron...