History Comicbook / FatherChristmas

* BrickJoke: At the end of the short film when Father Christmas is having a bath, he's seen drying himself with a towel that has Nero's Palace's logo on it... he stole the towel from the hotel!

* YourCostumeNeedsWork: When Father Christmas accidentally stumbles into a costume party, the host (dressed as a cat) comments to her friend "not awfully original".

Briggs wrote a sequel in 1975 called ''Father Christmas Goes on Holiday'' where he well goes on holiday. He converts his sled into a caravan and after misadventures in camping grounds in France and Scotland, he checks into a Las Vegas Casino resort for a very long stay, until he's reminded to get back to work by a child guest.

* DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch: A meta example: "Blooming" is an outdated slang term for "bloody".
** Several in-universe examples: Aside from being recognised as who he is late into his stays at each location, he didn't expect the restuarants in France had no chips or table sauces nor that the food would have an unfavorable effect on his stomach; or the weather in Scotland was often bad nor that the lochs were freezing cold (and that the one he did take a dip in had a shark swimming around in it).
* DrunkenMontage: A rather light-hearted one ensues when Santa takes refuge from the Scottish rain in a friendly local pub and has a merry time getting progressively more squiffy until he staggers back to his sleigh-turned-camper. He's very, very hung over the next morning.

* ForeignQueasine: Averted, then played straight, then averted again: Father Christmas orders everything on the menu when he's in France, even though everything is "a la creme" -- served with a cream sauce, or otherwise containing cream (such as his coffee.) It's all delicious, but he gets terrible indigestion. Later on, in Scotland, he cheerfully tucks into a plate of haggis.
* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself: The animated short has Father Christmas pick up his outfit from a dry-cleaners, and the clerk asks if he's going to a costume party. While on the following delivery run, [[BrickJoke he accidentally walks into a costume party]]. The mother helpfully points him towards her son's room.

* FrenchCuisineIsHaughty: When Father Christmas is on holiday in France, he is indignant that they don't have chips or bottled table sauces that he can put on his food, he nonetheless makes the best of it. Later on, he goes to a cafe for breakfast and is disgusted when all they'll give him is a croissant and a cup of coffee.

* LeavingFoodForSanta: ''Father Christmas'' has Father Christmas getting rather tipsy on all the sherry that the children leave out for him (in Britain, it's traditional to give Santa a mince pie and a sherry to keep him going, and a carrot for his reindeer). Averted in the animated adaptation; he leaves the treats untouched, thinking about his weight.
* LudicrousGiftRequest: In the animated adaptation, Father Christmas is seen looking at his letters and asking, "A pony?! How am I gonna fit that on a sledge?!".

* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Father Christmas' dog and cat could count as this. There's also a seal that Father Christmas greets in the Scottish loch after his arrival there.

* DrunkenMontage: A rather light-hearted one ensues when Santa takes refuge from the Scottish rain in a friendly local pub and has a merry time getting progressively more squiffy until he staggers back to his sleigh-turned-camper. [[RealityEnsues He's very, very hung over the next morning.]]

* [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed No Casinos Were Harmed]]: When Father Christmas goes to Las Vegas, he stays at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesars_Palace Nero's Palace]] Hotel and Casino.

* AnimateInanimateObject: In the animated adaptation, apart from the snowmen, there's a dancing flower with sunglasses seen early on.

** An in-universe example: Aside from being recognised as who he is late into his stays at each location, he didn't expect the restuarants in France had no chips or table sauces nor that the food would have an unfavorable effect on his stomach; or the weather in Scotland was often bad nor that the lochs were freezing cold (and that the one he did take a dip in had a shark swimming around in it).

* ExpyCoexistence: Briggs' father, Ernest makes a background cameo in Father Christmas. There's another cameo from Jim and Hilda Bloggs from ''WesternAnimation/WhenTheWindBlows'', whom Briggs based on his parents.

* LeavingFoodForSanta: ''Father Christmas'' has Father Christmas getting rather tipsy on all the sherry that the children leave out for him (in Britain, it's traditional to give Santa a mince pie and a sherry to keep him going, and a carrot for his reindeer). Averted in the animated adaptation; he leaves the treats for him untouched.

* EarlyBirdCameo: Briggs' father appears in the background as a milk an. He later starred in his own graphic novel and movie, ''WesternAnimation/EthelAndErnest''.

** An in-universe example: Aside from being recognised as who he is late into his stays abroad, he didn't expect the restuarants in France had no chips or table sauces nor that the food would have an unfavorable effect on his stomach, or the weather in Scotland was often bad nor that the rivers were cold (and the one he decided to take a dip in had a shark swimming around in it).

** An in-universe example: Aside from being recognised as who he is late into his stays abroad, he didn't expect the restuarants in France had no chips or table sauces nor that the food would have an unfavorable effect on his stomach, or the weather in Scotland was often bad nor that the lochs were cold (and that the one he decided to take a dip in had a shark swimming around in it).

** An in-universe example: Aside from being recognised as who he is late into his stays abroad, he didn't expect the restuarants in France had no chips or table sauces nor that the food would have an unfavorable effect on his stomach, or in Scotland that the weather was often bad nor that the lochs were cold (and that the one he decided to take a dip in had a shark swimming around in it).

** An in-universe example: Aside from being recognised as who he is late into his stays abroad, he didn't expect
the restuarants in France had no chips or table sauces nor that the food would have an unfavorable effect on his stomach, or in Scotland that the weather was often bad nor that the lochs were cold (and that the one he decided to take a dip in had a shark swimming around in it).

* FrenchCuisineIsHaughty: When Father Christmas is on holiday in France, he initially loves the food but is then indignant that they don't have bottled table sauces that he can put on it. Later on, he goes to a cafe for breakfast and is disgusted when all they'll give him is a croissant and a cup of coffee.

* LeavingFoodForSanta: ''Father Christmas'' has Father Christmas getting rather tipsy on all the sherry that the children leave out for him (in Britain, it's traditional to give Santa a mince pie and a sherry to keep him going, and a carrot for his reindeer).

Both books were combined into a short film with [[Series/AlasSmithAndJones Mel Smith]] as the voice of Father Christmas in 1991 by the same company that made ''ComicBook/TheSnowman'' as companion piece to the latter film; both James and the Snowman make a cameo in the film as well.

* AdaptationDistillation: The film combines books so they both happen in the same year. The events of Father Christmas Goes on Holiday come first and his Christmas run comes after.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: Father Christmas during the FramingDevice.

Briggs wrote a sequel in 1975 called ''Father Christmas Goes on Holiday'' where he well goes on holiday. He converts his sled into a caravan and after misadventures in campaign grounds in France and Scotland, he checks into a Las Vegas Casino resort for a very long stay, until he's reminded to get back to work by a child guest.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: A very rare example in the work of Raymond Briggs is the Nero's Palace car park attendant, who doesn't seem to see anything weird in the fact that an old guy with a big white beard left him a bunch of reindeer to look after. Father Christmas tips him lavishly, thanks him and wishes him the "best of luck".
* WorkingClassHero: [[WordOfGod Briggs]] states that he saw parrells between Father Christmas and his father who was a milkman (and yes he is the milkman who Father Christmas meets near the end of his run).

* HighClassGlass: When Father Christmas visits a casino in Las Vegas in ''Father Christmas Goes on Holiday'', he completes his image as a high roller by sporting a monocle. Ironically, it's just a cheap plastic toy he found in a Christmas cacker the year before, but it does suit him.

A 1973 graphic novel by Creator/RaymondBriggs. This is a very different version of Father Christmas or Santa. He doesn't live in the North Pole with Mrs. Claus, his elves and his eight tiny reindeer; instead he lives in a London townhouse with ''two'' reindeer and his cat and dog. Far from being jolly, he's grumpy and treats his job, well like a job like any other bloke. The book covers his nightly run and the labor it takes from getting his sled ready, having to deal with the cold and snow, and tight chimneys. His final delivery on the night is none other than to UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen at Buckingham Palace. As he finishes he runs into a friendly milkman who looks remarkably similar to Briggs' father.

Both books were combined into a short film with [[Series/AlasSmithAndJones Mel Smith]] as the voice of Father Christmas in 1991 by the same company that made ''ComicBook/TheSnowman'' as companion to the latter film. Both James and the Snowman make a cameo in the film as well.

A 1973 graphic novel by Creator/RaymondBriggs. This is a very different version of Father Christmas or Santa. He doesn't live in the North Pole with Mrs. Claus, his elves and his eight tiny reindeer; instead he lives in a London townhouse with ''two'' reindeer and his cat and dog. Far from being jolly, he's grumpy and treats his job, well like a job like any other bloke. The book covers his nightly run and the labor it takes from getting his sled ready, having to deal with the cold and snow, and tight chimneys.