From BBC News, posted Nov. 23, 2005:
DNA search for 'father' Christmas
By Paul Rincon
BBC News science reporter
A team of scientists in Oxford is trying to prove whether families with the rare surname of "Christmas" all descend from a single male ancestor.
They want to study the DNA of men from different Christmas clans to see if they are linked by a common genetic heritage as well as by their surnames.
[snip]
DNA analysis company Oxford Ancestors is currently appealing for volunteers for the study and is being assisted in the effort by Henry Christmas, a former telecommunications engineer who has spent 50 years researching the origins and history of his own family name.
[snip]
[Read the whole story]
I realize I'm no scientist, but, uh, shouldn't they be working on "Kringle"?
Or, is that an old folk's tale? What say you Chris? :-)
Well, talk about being an American.
Apparently the British refer to the big guy as Father Christmas.
I'm thinking he keeps a different wife in each country, thus the different names. The scoundrel.
Oh, I see, like a sailor...a wife in every port. Or, in his case, a pilot.