Father Christmas – or Santa Claus – is one of western culture’s most recognisable figures. But from his mysterious origins to quite how he ended up as owner of a North Pole workshop staffed by elves, much about the festive season’s main man remains a mystery. In this episode, Thomas Ruys Smith joins Matt Elton to discuss the cultural life and career of the benevolent gift-giver – and reveals when Santa Claus first had to battle Father Christmas for the crown of festive figurehead.
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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST
Read Thomas Ruys Smith’s feature on the intertwined history of Father Christmas and Santa Claus on the HistoryExtra website: https://bit.ly/3MJN7LA
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