Whether you’re helping to decorate that tree, or taking part in your school nativity play, most of you kids will be getting really excited about the presents you’re going to get from a big, jolly man with a bushy white beard who wears a bright red suit and hangs around with magical, flying reindeer!

By now, I expect you’ve guessed that I’m talking about Father Christmas. But have you ever wondered how he came to be every kid’s favourite grown up … and is he real?

Did you know that Father Christmas is sometimes known as Saint Nicholas? Well, that’s because he was named after a real saint. And here’s why …

Saint Nicholas was a priest who lived the 4th century in Myra, which is in the country we now call Turkey.

Nicholas’ parents died when he was young and left him lots of money. He wanted to give this money to poor people, but he didn’t want anybody to know how kind he had been.

There’s a well known story that one night he climbed onto the roof of a poor family’s house and dropped small bags of gold down the chimney. They fell into stockings that were hanging by the fireplace. So this is why lots of people hang up their stockings for Father Christmas?

When he got a bit older, Nicholas became a bishop. After he died he was made a Saint, as he had become famous for being so kind and generous, especially to children. In some European countries, people give presents on 6th December, as this is St Nicholas’ Day.

Nicholas was a Catholic Saint. Hundreds of years ago, Protestants didn’t like Catholics, so the Protestants in different countries chose their own names for Saint Nicholas. The English name was Father Christmas. In Holland, he was known as Sinterklaas, which got changed to Santa Claus in America.

Saint Nicholas probably wore red and white robes when he was a bishop, but that only explains part of the costume.

For the rest, we have to go back to 1822. This was when a man called Clement Clarke Moore wrote a famous poem called “A Visit from St Nicholas”, also known as “The Night Before Christmas”. So check out this poem to see how Clement Clarke Moore describes Father Christmas …

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
‘Now Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!’
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound,
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
His eyes - how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
and filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
and laying his finger aside of his nose,
and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
and away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
‘Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.'

Clement Clarke Moore’s poem became very famous indeed. Lots of Father Christmas drawings matching the poem’s description started to appear in books and magazines. Very soon, everybody knew what Father Christmas looked like!

Today, you can find Father Christmas in stacks of places. He could be riding in his sleigh at Christmas parades, or in department store grottos asking kids what gifts they want him to drop down the chimney ready to open on Christmas morning.

Of course, most of these are just Santa’s helpers dressed up, because the real one is far too busy getting ready for the big day and hasn’t got time to be at ALL the special events around the world.

Grown ups get confused about this Father Christmas stuff and often assume it’s the real Santa when it’s really just a stand in. If this happens to the grown up looking after you, it’s best to smile and pretend you agree with them. Otherwise, you might spoil their fun and put them in a bad mood for Christmas!

Well, I reckon he might have caught a quick glimpse of Santa flying by on Christmas Eve. After all, he even described the sleigh and the reindeer in his poem. And if you’re ever lucky enough to visit Lapland and meet the real Father Christmas, you’ll see for yourself that Mr Moore’s description was quite accurate!