So this is Father Christmas. What’s he done? Spread cheer at Franklin festival
The smiling, gray-bearded man is again making the rounds this December at holiday events, posing for photos and chatting with curious children and parents.
Wearing a robe and hat trimmed with fur, he recently mingled at the Dickson Christmas tree lighting on Main Street and this weekend, he’ll again be strolling through downtown Franklin for Dickens of a Christmas.
However, this isn't the usual jolly old elf all dressed in red.
He’s Father Christmas. And he’s green.
“Going into the community as Father Christmas is very inspiring and joyful not only for me but I know for the people I come in contact with because I can see it on their faces and the way they react to me,” said Father Christmas, who goes by William Wakeman the rest of the year.
Wakeman, a longtime White Bluff resident in Dickson County, has transformed into Father Christmas the last five years. And his popularity continues to has grow. You can even follow his journey on the Father Christmas Facebook page.
So, what inspired this 10-year veteran of the Tennessee State Guard to create a pricy and rare robe and inspire joy?
Wakeman practices pagan religion, which he describes as “a very peaceful spiritual religion that practices a variety of rituals with no dogma and is based on ancient traditions associated with nature and ancestral worshiping.”
Historians believe that Father Christmas is derived from ancient pagan beliefs. Some people, including Wakeman, compare Father Christmas directly to Odin, the Norse god. Father Christmas, or figures that closely resemble him, made a renaissance in the early 19th century, according to the English Heritage charity. The Ghost of Christmas Present in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol closely resembles Father Christmas.
“Father Christmas is much older than the invention of Santa Claus,” Wakeman said.
He said he was often asked about playing Santa. But he wanted to appeal to those who may practice a different religion, and provide variety during the holidays.
“I have never met another Father Christmas, we are very rare,” said Wakeman, noting that some families have traveled across counties just to visit Father Christmas in Franklin.
Despite the differences, Father Christmas and Santa are chums.
“I have a good friend of mine that is Saint Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, and we hang out a lot together,” Wakeman said.
Dickens of a Christmas
When: Saturday, Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Main Street in Downtown Franklin
What: A variety of vendors, kids activities, musicians, dancers and Dickens characters will fill the streets in downtown Franklin for this free event. For more information, go online to: williamsonheritage.org.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: So this is Father Christmas. What’s he done? Spread cheer at Franklin festival.
