But I have recently learned that for some children, in particular my two-year-old daughter Emily, the sight of Father Christmas is enough to send them into a state of terror.

I made this discovery, when after finally getting to the front of a long queue to visit Santa’s grotto, with Emily primed to tell him she wanted a keyboard. However, at the first sight of his podgy tummy she exploded into tears and clung on to me for dear life.

Once she had calmed down, she told me, while shaking her head vigorously, “I didn’t like his beard” and moments later “he didn’t give me keyboard”.

Over the course of the following week she had two more impromptu meetings with St Nicholas and each time she gave him the same horrified, weeping response.

Despite countless efforts to reassure her, she still believes he is the most frightening monster in the world.

And she is not alone, as a quick look on the internet about her fear brings up the term Santaphobia, ‘an abnormal, persistent fear of Father Christmas’.

I’m sure this aversion will fade in the future but does not get us around the highlight of our Christmas Day celebration this year, when Santa Claus (aka my dad) is due to deliver our presents.

A Father Christmas with a goatee or a moustache may be in order!