Father Christmas started being shown most often in a red outfit from the late 19th century, and this became firmly standard worldwide after famous advertising campaigns in the 1930s. Earlier images showed him in several colours, especially green, brown and white, so the all‑red look is a relatively modern choice.

Early colours before red

For centuries, figures behind Father Christmas, like Saint Nicholas, were shown in long bishop’s robes rather than a cosy red suit. In Britain, “Old Christmas” or Father Christmas in the 1600s–1800s could be pictured in green, brown, blue or white robes, often symbolising winter or festive greenery.

  • Saint Nicholas (3rd–4th century) was typically depicted in church robes, sometimes red, as a bishop.
  • Victorian Father Christmas in England often wore green or white fur robes to represent nature or snow, not yet a fixed red costume.

When red became common

By the late 1800s, artists in the USA began favouring red for Santa/Father Christmas, though it was not yet the only colour. Illustrations by Thomas Nast in the 1860s–1880s show Santa Claus in a deep red coat that looks very close to the modern image.

  • Between about 1863 and 1886, Nast’s engravings in Harper’s Weekly steadily shaped a fur‑trimmed red‑clad Santa.
  • Around 1900–1920, Christmas cards and magazine art increasingly defaulted to a red, fur‑trimmed suit, while other colours gradually faded from use.

So, “when did Father Christmas start wearing red?”: recognisable red outfits appear and spread from the late 19th century, even if not yet exclusive.

Coca‑Cola and the modern myth

A popular story online says Coca‑Cola “invented” the red suit, but that is misleading. Red‑clothed Santas and Father Christmas figures were already common decades before Coca‑Cola’s ads.

  • In 1931, Coca‑Cola launched Christmas adverts featuring a plump, friendly Santa in a bright red, fur‑trimmed outfit painted by Haddon Sundblom.
  • Historians and fact‑checkers note that these adverts did not start the red suit, but they made the red‑and‑white image dominant and globally familiar.

So Coca‑Cola didn’t start Father Christmas wearing red, but it did help lock that red look in as the standard version almost everywhere.

Quick timeline recap

  • Before 1800: Gift‑bringing figures (St Nicholas, etc.) in bishop’s robes; colours varied, often liturgical or symbolic.
  • 1600s–1800s (England): “Father Christmas” in long green, brown or white robes, associated with feasting and winter.
  • Late 1800s: American Santa illustrations (e.g., Thomas Nast) commonly show a red coat and hat with fur trim.
  • Early 1900s: Red becomes the most usual colour on cards and in magazines, though not yet exclusive.
  • 1930s onward: Coca‑Cola’s global advertising cements the cheerful, red‑suited Father Christmas/Santa image recognised today.

TL;DR: Father Christmas was shown in many colours for centuries, but red became his main colour from the late 19th century and was firmly standardised by the 1930s.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.