[Lexicog] Santa Claus and Father Christmas

[Fritz Goerling]

Hi John,

 

Do British kids also believe in the Easter bunny, as German kids (up to a
certain age) do?

These Malian vendors sold inflatable Easter bunnies at the same time!
Honest!

 

May Father Christmas fill your Christmas stocking abundantly this year!

 

Fritz

Hi Fritz,

There was an item on the BBC news just now relevant to this. A primary
school teacher told his pupils that Father Christmas/Santa Claus is not
real. He was heavily criticized by the children's parents and has had to
give an apology and rescind his statement. The BBC news presenter also
assurred everyone that Father Christmas/Santa Claus is certainly real.

John Roberts


Fritz Goerling wrote: 

  

Yesterday I drove around Bamako/Mali together with a British colleague. We
got a kick out of watching Malian street vendors selling inflatable Santa
Clauses (Father Christmases) at red lights. To my surprise I learnt from my
British colleague that the Brits call Santa Claus by the name Father
Christmas while in German these are two different characters. In Germany St.
Nikolaus comes on the 6th of December, and the Weihnachtsmann (Santa, Father
Christmas) comes on Christmas Eve. 

What tradition do you have in your language/country and how do you refer to
Santa/Father Christmas as one or two different persons? 

  

Merry Chistmas! 

  

Fritz Goerling 

  





-- 
********************
John R Roberts
SIL International Linguistics Consultant
dr_john_roberts@ <mailto:dr_john_roberts at sil.org> sil.org
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