Originally posted by Kosh
I always thought the idea for "Father Christmas" and "Santa Claus" came from the Dutch......
Indeed, Sinterklaas. The Dutch celebration is waay different from the US/UK Christmass, though.
Over here, we give small gifts (mostly), with funny, somewhat teasing poems attached to them. You often create a large 'surprise', intresting packaging. For instance, back when I was known for carrying a huge backpack in school, a girl made me a gigantic (1*1*1m) backpack, filled with shredded newspaper, and my gifts scattered inside, so I'd have to search.
Our christmass is generally spending time with your family, staying at home, and that kind of stuff.