Father Christmas – By Kari Belcourt, Dec. 16, 2026
A jolly fat man who sneaks down our chimneys every 24th of December yet is beloved around the world. Who is this man and where does he come from? Santa Claus, St. Nicholas or Father Christmas? A corporate figure head or a Christmas miracle? Santa is a legendary figure who originates from western Christian culture known to bring gifts in the late evening and overnight of December 24th. He is said to accomplish this with the hard work of a team of elves, a North Pole workshop and a team of flying reindeer to pull his sleigh. This portrayal is thought to come from folklore traditions surrounding the 4th century Christian Bishop Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children. Bishop Saint Nicholas was renowned for his secret gift giving and generosity, a tradition and meaning often associated with Christmas. He is thought to appear as a jolly old man, with a round belly, thick white beard, often donning a red and white suit. He is known is often say “Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas!”.
This image originated in North America during the 19th century, influenced by Dutch immigrants who brought the legend of St. Nicholas to 17th century New York City. This is Santa but is he a Christmas Miracle or a corporate figure head? The Bank of Montreal’s Real Financial Progress Index shows 79 per cent of Canadians are planning to spend less this holiday season. It also says more than half are feeling financial anxiety over holiday spending, and almost a quarter are feeling uncertain they will be able to pay off holiday bills on time. “Faced with higher living costs and a rising unemployment rate, it’s no surprise that many Canadians are planning to scale back their holiday spending plans this year,” says Sal Guatieri, a senior economist at BMO. On average, Canadians plan on spending almost $2,000 this holiday season, with the majority of the spending on travel ($1,802), followed by holiday gifts ($519) and entertaining, decorations, and other holiday expenses. While Canadians are planning to spend less this Christmas season at least a third plan to keep their donations to charities at the same level as previous years, according to a survey conducted for BMO Financial Group. The survey, conducted by Ipsos, found the majority of Canadians who plan on giving back to their communities want to help people in need at 61% and support their preferred causes at 51%. While 23 % indicated that giving back allows them to teach their children and family the importance of giving. Commenting on the survey results, Lydia Potocnik, head, Estate Planning & Philanthropic Advisory Services, BMO Private Wealth, said the holiday season often inspires Canadians to spread hope to communities, and strategic giving allows them to be part of the change they want to see. Reports look promising but we await to see if our Christmas magic is once again enough to bring Santa and the miracle of Christmas to life on the night of December 24th