''Father Christmas'' is a British children's picture book written and drawn by

Raymond Briggs Raymond Redvers Briggs (18 January 1934 – 9 August 2022) was an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist and author. Achieving critical and popular success among adults and children, he is best known in Britain for his 1978 story ...

and published by Hamish Hamilton in 1973. Briggs won the annual Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best

children's book Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

illustration by a British subject. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005), a panel named it one of the top ten winning works, which composed the ballot for a public election of the nation's favourite.

Overview

''Father Christmas'' presents a dramatically different modern interpretation of the character. He may physically resemble a stereotypical vision of a jolly Father Christmas, with his large white beard and red suit, but he couldn’t be more different. This Father Christmas is a down-to-earth working man living in a normal house, with the usual tasks of his delivery on Christmas Eve, who hides his warm heart behind a grumpy, dissatisfied exterior. There is no sign of either Mrs. Claus (apart from a hanging wall picture in one scene) or the elves in this apparently solo operation. Living with him are his cat and dog, and two

reindeer Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 sub ...

. While he bumbles and mumbles about his work and life, it is clear he has a deep affection for his animals (he gives his cat and dog presents) and enjoys his work. He comes across as complaining about everything but ultimately loving what he does. The book depicts Father Christmas' deliveries as he deals with a range of unusual residences while taking welcome breaks with food and drinks put out for him. Along the way, Father Christmas talks to only one person, a

milkman Milk delivery is a delivery service dedicated to supplying milk. This service typically delivers milk in bottles or cartons directly to customers' homes. This service is performed by a milkman, milkwoman, or milk deliverer. (In contrast, a cow ...

intended to represent the author's father, Ernest Briggs. Despite his difficulties, Father Christmas completes his itinerary with his last stop being apparently Buckingham Palace. Upon returning home, Father Christmas opens his own presents. He grumpily disapproves of his own presents (apart from a bottle of brandy from his friend Fred), but a jollier, more festive side of him also starts to show as he sings carols in the shower and calls his

Christmas dinner Christmas dinner is a meal traditionally eaten at Christmas. This meal can take place any time from the evening of Christmas Eve to the evening of Christmas Day itself. The meals are often particularly rich and substantial, in the tradition of ...

"Lovely grub!". Exhausted after his travels, he retires to bed, though not before giving his cat and dog their own presents and wishing the reader "Happy Blooming Christmas!". Coward, McCann & Geoghan published the US edition of ''Father Christmas'' in October (). '' Kirkus Reviews'' gave the book a starred review, signifying remarkable merit. In part, "Briggs projects Santa's day in comic strip sequence and balloon monologue, from his waking from a dream of sun ... You don't have to be British to take to this very human Father Christmas – but it helps to have an open eye for all the throwaway background detail." In a BBC documentary of 31 December 2018, Raymond Briggs said that Father Christmas was partly based on his father as they were both delivery men. He also said that he received a letter of complaint from an American because of one scene in which Father Christmas is sitting on the toilet.

Sequel and adaptation

Briggs completed a sequel, '' Father Christmas Goes on Holiday'', published in 1975 by Hamish Hamilton in Britain and Coward, McCann & Geoghan in America. The two books were

adapted In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

in 1991 as a 25-minute animated film, ''

Father Christmas Father Christmas is the traditional English name for the personification of Christmas. Although now known as a Christmas gift-bringer, and typically considered to be synonymous with Santa Claus, he was originally part of a much older and unrela ...

''. Dave Unwin was the director and

Mel Smith Melvyn Kenneth Smith (3 December 1952 – 19 July 2013) was an English comedian, actor and director. Smith worked on the sketch comedy shows ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' and ''Alas Smith and Jones'' with his comedy partner, Griff Rhys Jones. ...

was the voice of Father Christmas.''Father Christmas'' (1991)

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

. Retrieved 4 December 2012.

References

External links

* {{Authority control British picture books Kate Greenaway Medal winning works Novels by Raymond Briggs Picture books by Raymond Briggs British graphic novels Christmas graphic novels British novels adapted into films Santa Claus in fiction Hamish Hamilton books 1973 British novels 1973 children's books Christmas children's books