How Do You Say Santa in Scotland?

Santa is called by many names throughout the world. Santa fanatics may be wondering what do the people of Scotland call Santa.

The words for Santa in Scotland are "Bodach na Nollaig" which comes from the Scottish Gaelic and translates directly into "Old Man of Christmas." This same type of phrase referring to a "Father Christmas" is used to refer to Santa throughout the world.

Christmas has always been a rather controversial holiday in Scotland. The Church of Scotland, the Presbyterian Church, never really celebrated the holiday in the ways that we celebrate today. We do not mean that they did not recognize the birth of Christ; we just mean that they did not have the pomp and circumstance associated with the day. In fact, people would get in trouble for celebrating.

Preparing for Santa in Scotland

Preparations for Santa Claus' arrival at similar to those in the United States. Children write out their letters and some send them to Santa Claus at the North Pole, while others send them over to the Santa Claus in Finland. In some countries, Santa makes an appearance on Christmas Eve, but in Scotland, he arrives on Christmas Day.

The children leave out milk, mince pies, and sometimes even whiskey for Bodach na Nollaig. Some of the children -as they do in the United States -will also leave out carrots for Bodach na Nollaig's reindeer. In the morning, the children receive large presents and sometimes small ones in stockings or pillow cases as well.