Church of England leaders are pitting St. Nicholas against "Father Christmas." Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey and others are supporting a drive to reintroduce St. Nicholas to society, because they believe the spirit of Christmas has been lost, The Electronic Telegraph reported. They fear that more children regard Father Christmas as the central character of Christmas.

...The St. Nicholas Society has been established to educate people about the Christian saint whose giving nature fostered the idea of giving gifts at Christmastime, according to the Telegraph . The society will send educational materials to London's schools, has established an Internet site, and will join together 450 British churches named for St. Nicholas to promote the campaign.

..."By putting St. Nicholas back at the center of the story we are reaffirming the Christian nature of the celebration," Jim Rosenthal of the Worldwide Anglican Communion said. "People need to realize that the Father Christmas we have now is largely an American invention and a secular one at that."