Who would you prefer to tell your children about - as a supposed bringer of gifts? - Santa Claus - Father Christmas - the Christ Child (Christkindl) - a kind of angel that is never seen - somebody else - nobody
Is there a difference between Father Christmas and Santa Claus? I see no problem with telling my kids about Santa Claus.
Here is a comparison: http://www.differencebetween.info/d...ence: Santa Claus is,during the 15th Century.
I tell my kids about Saint Nicholas, the kindly bishop who brings them gifts if they will be good. It's the most organic way I see of integrating the actual person and the current cultural tradition. The night before Christmas I leave to the kids a plate with a cookie, and milk. The morning of, they see gifts in their stockings; and the cookie has a bite, and some milk is missing.
So did I when my kids were young. But Saint Nicholas brings his gifts on the 6th of December here. On Christmas Eve in Southern Germany the "Christ Child" (Christkind) brings gifts - and in Northern Germany it is the "Weihnachtsmann" - a kind of Father Christmas.
In Russia "Grandfather Frost" brings presents for the New Year. In Italy the "Befana" - a witch or a fairy - brings presents on the 6th of January. In Spain the "Three Holy Kings" bring presents - also on the 6th of January.
One thing I’m thinking of is moving the gift day to January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. The three wise men come bearing gifts to Jesus and to the little children. On Dec. 25, Saint Nicholas would have to do something else in that scenario…
We always told my children it was Father Christmas. Santa Claus is more of an American name for the same fictional character and hadn't really caught on here when my children were young. Nowadays say Father Christmas to young children in Britain and they look at you like you've just used some obscure dialect of Mongolian.
I hold back a gift and give it to the children on Dia de Reyes. Their mother was Puerto Rican and this was a tradition she valued. She said that instead of milk and cookies, the custom is to leave out grass for the Kings' camels. This does not translate so well to Northern climes, since there is no green grass to leave out in January. It's an interesting insight into how people from a tropical climate, where they have no reference point for snow other than sno-cones, create a comparable custom suited to their own use.
That is very interesting for me what you say here! I feel tempted to also give gifts to children now on January the 6th!
We always used to leave a mince pie and a glass of whiskey for Father Christmas and a carrot for the reindeers. When I got old enough to think about it and because I assumed everyone must do the same that Father Christmas must have the most awful hangover on Christmas morning. When I got older still I wondered why put the whiskey out because neither of my parents touched alcohol. I assume the glass must have been poured down the sink rather than consumed. As it was a common blended whiskey I don't suppose that was too much of a waste.
Anyone here who ever has come across the lovely "Christ Child" - the bringer of gifts in my childhood?
What Wiki knows about the Christkind - or Christkindl - as we call it in my home region. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christkind
Yes, but children can be spoilt by having too many days on which they come to expect gifts. Do you have children? In my experience they always expect more expensive gifts than the ones you may be prepared to buy.