Meeting Father Christmas is a sacred childhood moment, says founder of UK’s only Santa school

Family & ParentingLifestyle
22 Dec 2025 • 4:53 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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“Meeting Father Christmas is a ceremonial part of a child’s life, you have to get it right’, says founder of the UK’s only Father Christmas school.

The Independent sat down for an exclusive interview with Santa historian James Lovell, who has extensively studied who Father Christmas is, how he behaves and what it really takes to be the most magical person.

Mr Lovell, who worked as the main man himself at an Oxford Street department store, said: “First of all, it’s important to say, the real Santa does exist, I am only helping him out.”

He aded: “You need to make the moment a child meets Father Christmas as special as it can be, as it is a very important part of childhood.”