Father Christmas is the embodiment of the spirit of Christmas which developed from the legends surrounding the pagan figure of Odin - a traditional gift giver to the deserving during the pagan Winter festival of Yule. He is associated with jollity, merrymaking and general good cheer.

In Victorian times, he became associated with children and the modern tradition of giving gifts began.

In much of Europe, the nocturnal Christmas gift-giver was St Nicholas, who was a generous giver to the poor. Traditionally, children would leave shoes out filled with treats for his donkeys and he would leave small gifts in exchange.

When the American Santa Claus crossed the Atlantic to Europe in the 1850s, Father Christmas began to take on his attributes until the two effectively merged into one: the white-bearded, red-robed figure we know today.

We all love Father Christmas and I bet we have all written to him at some stage. I used to go and see him every year and loved it. I would love to go to Greenland and wake him up!! It would be a trip of a lifetime for me!!

Don’t forget on Christmas Eve to hang up your stocking and leave a brandy and mince pie out for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph, and I hope he is generous to you all.

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