Name: Mother Christmas.
Age: The idea of Father Christmas, AKA Santa Claus, originates from western Christian culture and folklore traditions surrounding Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop and the patron saint of children, with a reputation for generosity and giving gifts.
But isn’t this about Mother Christmas? Is she also from the fourth century? Er, no, she’s newer. Relatively recent, actually.
Appearance: Similar – red coat, furry white collar and cuffs. The beard is optional.
And she’s real? Of course she’s real! Seasonal, though.
And where is Mother Christmas to be found? Everywhere! Well, in hundreds of Santa’s grottos up and down the country, according to the Sun.
Such as? National Trust properties, including Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire, which is offering Storytime with Mother Christmas experiences.
That’ll be part of the whole “wokification” of the trust that’s going on? Well, some might say that. But it’s not just them.
Where else can I see her? Chepstow Castle in Monmouthshire – more stories read by Mother C. And at the Yorkshire Dales national park, where last month she could have written and sent a letter to Santa for you.
To her husband? It’s not always clear whether they’re a married couple, or if she has entirely replaced him. Anyway, the British Garden Centres chain is offering breakfast with Mrs Claus for toddlers. Even Boots has jumped on the bandwagon … or bandsleigh.
How so? The Boots Christmas ad has Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh as Mrs C, doing everything behind the scenes – loading up the presents with the help of her glammed-up elves, while ’im indoors snores by the fire.
But then Santa wakes from his doze, sledges off and gets all the credit! Well, some things never change.
And what are people saying about all these Mother Christmases? The response has, as you can imagine, been mixed.
The end of civilisation as we know it? The Sun’s headline is: “Fury as hundreds of woke Santa’s Grottos ditch Father Christmas for a female equivalent.” One punter tells them: “For hundreds of years kids have got their presents from Santa. Why ruin a perfectly good tradition? The world’s gone mad.”
And on the other side? Mum-of-two Holly from Bath thought some male Santas could be creepy. “There’s just something gentler about a woman. I’d prefer my girls to be sitting on a woman’s lap, definitely.”
Do say: “Ho ho her!”
Don’t say: “Yeah, that’s all very well, but Saint Nicholas was definitely a he. Also definitely unmarried …”
