Funny Father Christmas Pictures and stories

Here is Will and Guy's selection of Father Christmas photos in a variety of outfits and amusing situations.

• Father Christmas in Training for Christmas
• Father Christmas - A Personal Reminiscence
• More Funny Pictures of Father Christmas
• Father Christmas Race
• Other names for Father Christmas - Santa Claus

Father Christmases in Training for Christmas Day

Will and Guy think that the plural of Father Christmas should be Father Christmases (and not Fathers Christmas).

Father Christmas Relaxing After the Big Event

Mr and Mrs Santa Claus Pics

Father Christmas Drinks Will and Guy's Mulled Wine - Now You Know Why Santa is Red!

See more funny Santa Claus pictures

Guy and Father Christmas - A Personal Reminiscence

As a boy of about five, I was taken into the big city to meet with Father Christmas.  He had his elf grotto in the big department store. My mother and I had to queue, but eventually I reached Father Christmas and he asked me, 'Guy what would you like for Christmas?' I dumbfounded, then I surprised my Mother by saying: 'Nothing'. Footnote 1 Well for the next fifty years, when asked, 'What would you like for Christmas Guy', I repeated the same record: 'Nothing'. Amazingly, nobody listens, and have to say that every year I get the most delightful presents. Footnote 2 I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph. Shirley Temple

Santa Claus Computing his Present list

A modern Santa hard at work on his keyboard --> Question: What's the best Christmas present a child could get? Answer: A broken drum - you can't beat it!

Father Christmas Opens His Own Presents

Other Names for Father Christmas

The personification of Christmas can be traced back to the Puritans in the early 1600s.  Possibly it was Ben Jonson who first created the name 'Father Christmas' in December 1616 20 years later, Thomas Nabbes, refers to Father Christmas as 'An old reverend gentleman in furred gown and cap'.  Other common names from this period were Lord Christmas and Sir Christmas.

Names for 'Father Christmas' in over 20 Other Languages

Language	Father Christmas
United Kingdom	Father Christmas, Santa Claus
Estonia	Jouluvana
Finland	Joulupukki [Old Man Christmas]
France	Père Noël
Germany	Weihnachtsmann [Christmas Man], Christkind
Greek	Kala Christouyenna!
Hawaii	Kanakaloka
Hungary	Mikulás (St. Nicholas) or Télapó ("Winter Father")
Iceland	Jólasveinninn
Mexico	San Nicolás, Santa
Netherlands	Kerstman
Norway	Julenissen [Christmas gnome!]
Poland	Swiety Mikolaj [St. Nicholas]
Portugal	Pai Natal
Russia	Ded Moroz [Grandfather Frost]
Serbia / Croatia	Bozic Bata. Sveti Nickola
Sweden	Jultomten [Christmas Brownie]
Spain	Papa Noel
Switzerland	Saint Nicholas, Chriskind
USA	Santa
Wales	Siôn Corn

Coca Cola and Santa

Haddon Sundblom made the character of Santa popular in 1931.  As an illustrator from Chicago, USA, Sundblom designed a Coca-Cola advertisement which contained an image of Santa with a red suit and a white beard.  Since then Santa has been a major part of Christmas in the UK and the USA.  However, while children today can recognise Victorian Santa pictures easily, they be surprised to see older pictures showing Saint Nicholas (Santa) in green or blue attire.

The Ideal Funny Father Christmas

• Father Christmas must be at least 5ft 10in - It looks incongruous if the child is bigger than Father Christmas.
• Father Christmas should smell of Old Spice and peppermints. (Brandy or Whisky is a no-no)
• The white beard should be stuck to the face with glue.
• He should have the full red suit, which fits properly.  See pictures below.

Weihnachtsmann Shortage in Germany for Christmas 2008

GERMANY is facing a Weihnachtsmann (Christmas Man) shortage in December 2008.  The problem is that prospective Father Christmases fail to meet standards of jollity and expertise.  Naturally, Santas must be friendly to the children, yet have the gravitas of a grandfather or benign uncle. 'It takes a lot to be a good Santa,' said Tarik Kilinc of the Heinzelmaennchen agency in Berlin. 'About 10% don't make it through the casting process.  'Just handing out presents isn't enough. Our Santas have to sing songs with the families and talk to the parents about their children and the evening's arrangements,' he added. Frankly Will and Guy don't know many people who would make a good Father Christmas, thus can understand the shortage.  However, for $80 per hour we wonder if the role does not tempt 'resting' actors.  We are also surprised that demand for Father Christmas is holding up in the recession. Apparently Berlin needs about 500 Weihnachtsmann to cover the 5,000 private parties. Jens Wittenberger, who is in charge of recruitment at the Jobcafe in Munich, said the demanding standards 'put people off' wanting to be Father Christmas.  His recruits are rigorously schooled; learning, for example, how to deal with tricky questions from children such as 'Where do you keep all the reindeer'

Hide and Seek in Town Centre Christmas Tree

Extremely funny, yet serious, immigration issue unfolds in Northampton, England Will and Guy have learned from the UK authorities that four men have been arrested after they allegedly entered the country illegally by hiding in a 32-foot-tall fake Christmas tree.  Apparently, the men were hiding inside an aluminium and nylon tree ordered for the town centre's Christmas display. The men, believed to be from Iraq and Iran were spotted by eagle-eyed Northampton council staff hiding at the depot in the back of a lorry. Immigration officers were informed and the men taken into custody.  It is not thought they were intending to look for work as Father Christmas as they had no red coats or false beards. The driver of the lorry, from France, has stated that he knew nothing of the stowaways.

More Funny Pictures of Father Christmas - Working? or Relaxing?

Father Christmas Skiing

See more snow pictures

Santa Claus Waterskiing

Mother Christmas and Father Christmas on Their Holiday!

Funny Father Christmas Race

The 4.5-mile race took place in Newton in Powys reports the BBC. The town currently holds the world record for the world's biggest Santa gathering. What surprises me of the Santa Claus picture is that they are all wearing Santa hats. Organisers are hoping it will have broken another world record this year - for the number of Santas yo-yoing at the same time. The annual Santa run is organised community transport charity Newtown & District Dial A Ride. Jo Corfield, one of the race's organisers, said; 'The Santa Run started just because we were on our last legs and wanted one event that would be a good fund-raiser and keep us going.' 'Since it's grown into the biggest event that Newtown hosts and we estimate it brings £150,000 into the local economy in just one day.' The first Santa across the finishing line was Darren Hisscock from Aberdare in the Cynon Valley who completed the course in 18 minutes.

Father Christmases Set a World Record

A new world record has been set for the most Father Christmases congregated in one place. Over 14,200 Santa Claus's paraded through the streets of Porto, in Portugal, to raise money for charity Will and Guy have discovered. They sang songs and danced through the inclement weather - drizzly rain and cold. To go with the spirit of Santa's gift-giving, every Pai Natal [as he is known in Portugal] also donated 1 € [euro] to buy presents for the needy children in Porto, to which the general fundraising also contributed. The last world record for the largest gathering of Santa Clauses was set in 2007 in Northern Ireland, where 12,965 people took part, dressed either as Santa or as Santa's helpers. Word has come from the city of Derry, last year's winners; they have promised they will attempt to beat Porto in 2009. Will and Guy say, 'Watch this space.'

Santas in Liverpool England

More than 7,000 Santas run through Liverpool to raise money for charity. Footnote: Please send us your funny Father Christmas pictures and stories

• Free Colouring-in pictures of Father Christmases
• See more funny Santa Claus pictures