His first appearance was in 1616
The first appearance of Father Christmas was in a masque written by Ben Johnson in 1616. A masque is a performance similar to a play, though these usually involved pantomime and dance. The masque was called “Christmas, His Masque.” It followed Father Christmas and his ten children with names like Carol, Misrule, Gambol, Offering, Minced-Pie, and Baby-Cake.