The obvious difference is the name, Nigerians are typically descriptive people. Instead of Santa Claus, we prefer to call him, Father Christmas.
Father Christmas vs Santa Claus: Why Nigeria’s version is cooler and scarier
As children, there was obviously a sharp contrast between the Santa Claus we saw in Hollywood movies and the Father Christmas who showed up in our schools.
Father Christmas and Santa {IDAfrica/guardian}
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While Santa is a robust laughing figure, Nigerian Father Christmas is usually a thin black man in an oversized red coat sweating profusely from wearing such attire under the humid Nigerian weather.
Santa Claus jumps down the chimney and keeps children's gifts under the Christmas tree and sometimes a cup of milk and cookies, but we only see Father Christmas in Nigeria at parties. He is far less mystical.
Here’s why Father Christmas is scary. Santa Claus sits at brightly lit malls where he hands gifts to children under the loving gaze of their parents.
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Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Father Christmas is waiting slyly in a closed dark room with a curtain, and somehow it is expected that Children won’t cry. Personally, I hated Father Christmas because it looked like I was going to see a voodoo priest, and I cried bitterly every time.
However, Nigeria’s Father Christmas is not all that bad, sometimes, he puts on a dancing shoe and busts some moves and that’s really hilarious to watch.
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