Bagehot Christmas with Father Whip

摘要

In much of continental Europe, where over-manning is rife, two separate arbiters are needed to settle the essential Christmas question of whether children have been naughty or nice. Rewards come from St Nicholas, while rigour (lumps of coal, smacks with a birch twig) is contributed by a fierce sidekick known by such names as Knecht Ruprecht or le Pere Fouettard (Father Whip). In Britain, where Father Christmas works alone, the focus is on treats.