<P> Father Christmas Not Up - To - Date 1897 </P> <P> Any residual distinctions between Father Christmas and Santa Claus largely faded away in the early years of the new century, and it was reported in 1915, "The majority of children to - day...do not know of any difference between our old Father Christmas and the comparatively new Santa Claus, as, by both wearing the same garb, they have effected a happy compromise ." </P> <P> It took many years for authors and illustrators to agree that Father Christmas's costume should be portrayed as red--although that was always the most common colour--and he could sometimes be found in a gown of brown, green, blue or white . Mass media approval of the red costume came following a Coca - Cola advertising campaign that was launched in 1931 . </P> <P> Father Christmas's common form for much of the 20th century was described by his entry in the Oxford English Dictionary . He is "the personification of Christmas as a benevolent old man with a flowing white beard, wearing a red sleeved gown and hood trimmed with white fur, and carrying a sack of Christmas presents". One of the OED's sources is a 1919 cartoon in Punch, reproduced here . The caption reads: </P>

When did father christmas start to wear red
find me the text answering this question