On your sleigh, Santa, says National Trust (except for your grotto)
Stately homes told to refer only to Father Christmas instead of ‘American’ name - with one key exception
THE National Trust has insisted that Santa Claus should be known as “Father Christmas” in its hundreds of stately homes and historic buildings because the name is more British.
The trust stepped in to settle an ageold dispute about what name to give St Nicholas, who for many is the personification of Christmas.
The name “Santa Claus”, which originates from Dutch settlers in the US, has increasingly usurped the more traditional “Father Christmas”.
Etiquette experts said they backed the trust’s stand against Santa Claus, describing it as an Americanism and that middle class people tended to prefer “Father Christmas”.
It came after viewers of the Christmas Marks & Spencer advert complained that Paddington Bear said “Thank You Santa” when he met someone who he thought was Father Christmas.
The trust made its ruling as it prepared to welcome tens of thousands of visitors to its 1,400 properties across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 120 of them hosting “meet Father Christmas” events.
Many of the trust’s sites will have grottoes where Father Christmases – not Santas – will hand out presents to children. The trust said that while it was not “banning” Santa – it merely required all of its shops and literature to refer to him as Father Christmas.
This was despite the trust’s website referring to “Santa’s grotto” in at least one instance yesterday.
A National Trust spokesman said: “Contrary to any speculation, the National Trust is not looking to ban Santa, Saint Nick or Santa Claus.
“We recognise the gift-giving, jolly man with the beard goes by many names all over the world, but we try to stick to one, and for many years that has been Father Christmas.”
A source explained that Father Christmas was “perceived as the more traditional British name, certainly in England and Wales”.
“Father Christmas dates back as far as 16th century in England during the reign of Henry VIII. Santa seems widely used in Scotland,” the source added.
Asked why the trust had referred to “Santa’s grotto” online, the source said: “In this case ‘Santa’s grotto’ is seen as more common usage than ‘Father Christmas’s grotto’.”
William Hanson, a leading etiquette expert, backed the decision. He said: “If you’re British or have Anglo-saxon aspirations then it’s Father Christmas and never Santa or Santa Claus.
“I am buoyed to see that the National Trust is speaking out and correcting this irritating and increasing Americanisation of Christmas and inviting that the proper moniker is used for the big red man.
“The National Trust is a British institution. It should be celebrated and copied, not chastened and rebuked.”
Mr Hanson continued that using the term “Father Christmas” was the preserve of the middle classes and it was “lower class to call him Santa”.
He added: “Those from a middle to upper middle and beyond background will usually all invariably be visited by Father Christmas.”
Earlier this year the National Trust faced a membership boycott amid a growing backlash over its decision to drop “Easter” from the name of its annual Easter egg hunt.
Theresa May, the Prime Minister, who is a member of the trust, took time out of a visit to Saudi Arabia to intervene, saying: “I don’t know what they are thinking about, frankly.”
A spokesman for Father Christmas himself was unavailable for comment.