* Santa Claus also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and simply " Santa ", is a figure with legendary, mythical, historical and folkloric origins who, in many western cultures, is said to bring gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas Eve, December 24.

Excerpt from Josiah King's The Examination and Tryal of Father Christmas ( 1686 ), published shortly after Christmas was reinstated as a holy day in England.

Father Christmas is the name used in many English-speaking countries outside the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand for a figure associated with Christmas.

A similar figure with the same name ( in other languages ) exists in several other countries, including France ( Père Noël ), Spain ( Papá Noel, Padre Noel ), almost all Hispanic South America ( Papá Noel ), Brazil ( Papai Noel ), Portugal ( Pai Natal ), Italy ( Babbo Natale ), Armenia ( Kaghand Papik ), India ( Christmas Father ), Andorra ( Pare Noel ), Romania ( Moş Crăciun ) and Turkey ( Noel Baba ).

In past centuries, the English Father Christmas was also known as Old Father Christmas, Sir Christmas, and Lord Christmas.

Father Christmas is said to wear ( these days ) a bright red suit, but in Victorian and Tudor times he wore a bright green suit.

Father Christmas typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, but was neither a gift bringer nor particularly associated with children.

A traditional figure in English folklore, Father Christmas is identified with the old belief in the Old English god Woden.

In the English-speaking world, the character called " Father Christmas " influenced the development in the United States of Santa Claus, and in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, most people now consider them to be interchangeable.

However, although " Father Christmas " and " Santa Claus " have for most practical purposes been merged, historically the characters have different origins and are not identical.

Tolkien, have insisted on the traditional form of Father Christmas in preference to Santa Claus.

The character continued to appear over the next 250 years, appearing as Sir Christmas, Lord Christmas or Father Christmas, the last becoming the most common.

A man must be able to say, `` Father, I have sinned '', or there is no hope for him.

`` It is as though '', I said on the historic three-hour, coast-to-coast radio broadcast which I bought ( following Father Coughlin and pre-empting the Eddie Cantor, Manhattan Merry-go-round and Major Bowes shows ) `` That Man in the White House, like some despot of yore, insisted on reading my diary, raiding my larder and ransacking my lingerie!!

The Roman Catholic Church has excommunicated one of its priests, Father Feeney, for insisting that there is no salvation outside the visible church.

`` Father, is that you ''??

* Father Paneloux: Father Paneloux is a learned, well-respected Jesuit priest.

In contrast to the humanist beliefs of Rieux, Rambert, and Tarrou, the religious perspective is given in the sermons of the stern Jesuit priest, Father Paneloux.

abate ), as commonly used in the Catholic Church on the European continent, is the equivalent of the English " Father " ( parallel etymology ), being loosely applied to all who have received the tonsure.

* Atomic Dog, a song that is popular world wide ; written and performed by Our Father Who Art of Funk ; " George Clinton " from Parliament and the Funkadelics

The Arian concept of Christ is that the Son of God did not always exist, but was created by — and is therefore distinct from — God the Father.

This belief is grounded in the Gospel of John passage “ You heard me say, ‘ I am going away and I am coming back to you .’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

The Nicene Creed's central term, used to describe the relationship between the Father and the Son, is Homoousios (), or Consubstantiality, meaning " of the same substance " or " of one being ".

It is all that subsists by itself and which has not its being in another, God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit all being uncreated.

In the system described by Irenaeus, " the Unbegotten Father " is the progenitor of Nous, and from Nous Logos, from Logos Phronesis, from Phronesis Sophia and Dynamis, from Sophia and Dynamis principalities, powers, and angels, the last of whom create " the first heaven.

Abijah ( אביה ' aḆiYaH ) or Abiah or Abia, modern Hebrew Aviya, is a Biblical unisex name that means " my Father is Yahweh ".

# Abijah ( king ) of the Kingdom of Judah, also known as Abijam ( אבים ' aḄiYaM " My Father is Yam "), who was son of Rehoboam and succeeded him on the throne of Judah.

In formal documents, the Archbishop of Canterbury is referred to as " The Most Reverend Father in God, Forenames, by Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All England and Metropolitan ".

The Latin reads: " The Father is God, The Son is God, The Holy Spirit is God ; God is the Father, God is the Son, God is the Holy Spirit ; The Father is not the Son, The Son is not the Father, The Father is not the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is not the Father, The Son is not the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is not the Son.

Franz Boas, one of the pioneers of modern anthropology, often called the " Father of American Anthropology "

He may also be formally addressed as " Your Grace "— or, more often these days, simply as " Archbishop ", " Father " or ( in the current instance ) " Dr Williams ".

It is because of these and other contributions that Antoine Lavoisier is often celebrated as the " Father of Modern Chemistry ".

300 BC, also known as Euclid of Alexandria, was a Greek mathematician, often referred to as the " Father of Geometry ".

Father Ted Crilly, Father Dougal McGuire and Father Jack Hackett live chaotically together in Craggy Island's parochial house, along with their housekeeper Mrs Doyle, who often wants to serve them tea.

The show revolves around the priests ' lives on Craggy Island, sometimes dealing with matters of the church but more often dealing with Father Ted's schemes to either resolve a situation with the parish or other Craggy Island residents, or to win games of one-upmanship against his arch-nemesis, Father Dick Byrne of the nearby Rugged Island parish.

Nowadays he is often called Santa Claus but also often referred to in Britain as Father Christmas: the two names are synonyms.

In Europe, Father Christmas / Santa Claus is often said to reside in the mountains of Korvatunturi in Lapland Province, Finland.

" Father Christmas " is often synonymous with Santa Claus.

Father Christmas often appears as a large man, often around 70 years old.

The gospel gives far more focus to the relationship of the Son to the Father than the other gospels and it has often been used in the Christian development and understanding of the Trinity.

Father – son incest is reported less often, although it is not known whether the prevalence is less because it is under-reported by a greater margin.

Old Catholics often refer to the Church Father St. Vincent of Lerins and his saying: " We must hold fast to that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all the Faithful.

In Spanish and Italian, " Beatísimo / Beatissimo Padre " ( Most Blessed Father ) is often used in preference to " Santísimo / Santissimo Padre " ( Most Holy Father ).

Petrarch is often called the " Father of Humanism ".

Stephen F. Austin, often referred to as the " Father of Texas ," died on December 27, 1836, after serving just two months as the republic's secretary of state.

Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein ( 23 January 1898 – 11 February 1948 ), né Eizenshtein, was a pioneering Soviet Russian film director and film theorist, often considered to be the " Father of Montage ".

He is often called the " Father of Taxonomy ".