Who is Father Christmas?

Graham Loveluck-Edwards

Who is Father Christmas? It’s a simple enough question, and I am sure we all think we know the answer. But do you? Really?

Where do you think he came from? and how has this podgy man with his fur lined, heavy coat, Winter hat and bulky boots come to be the mascot of a religious festival set around events in the Middle East?

Well, it’s not that straight forward which is why I have recently wrote a book and a stage show called “Why Santa Might Kill You!”. It is a deep dive into all the different characters and influences that came together to give us the modern-day idea of Santa.

And let me tell you, some of these origins are based on characters you would not want wandering around your house in the dead of night on Christmas Eve.

One such influence is the British born character of “Father Christmas”.

He was loosely based on a pagan figure called “Old Father Time”, the embodiment of time itself, and was accordingly depicted as an old man with long white hair and a long white beard.

The morphing of Old Father Time into Father Christmas doesn’t happen until 1646, and when he first comes into being, he represents everything that’s WRONG with Christmas!

Some historical context required me thinks.

At this point in history, shortly after the Civil War that saw Oliver Cromwell become Lord Protector, the government of Britain was firmly in the grip of the puritans, who for fifteen years took it upon themselves to ban Christmas. I kid you not.

Outright banned it. Made it a crime to celebrate it in any way other than prayer.

An anonymous parliamentarian in January 1646, wrote and published a pamphlet called The Arraignment, Conviction and Imprisoning of Christmas.

In it, he mocked everyone who had been moaning about not being able to celebrate, presenting ‘Christmas’ as a person who had been banished: a person called ‘Olde Father Christmas’.

This is the first datable reference in history to a character called Father Christmas.

He taunted his readers with the state of this character: old, out of shape, overweight, overindulgent, bedraggled, unkempt, long-haired, sporting an ungroomed ‘hoardie beard’, ‘full and fat’, and loose in his morals with women.

This parliamentarian (who must, at least, have had a sense of humour because his nom-de-plume was “Simon Mince Pies”) hoped to persuade his readers that the banishing of Christmas was a good thing – that all they had lost was a distraction from the true rewards of life: contemplative silent prayer, a hard day’s work, and a life abstaining from alcohol and fast women.

I don’t think he got invited to many parties.

Graham Loveluck-Edwards is an author, historian and broadcaster.

His new book “Why Santa Might Kill You!” and tickets for the stage show touring venues between in November and December 2026 are available on his website https://grahamloveluckedwards.com

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