Terry Pratchett is known, both in the United States and in his native England, as an author of comedic fantasies that incorporate a strong element of social commentary and satire. A former newspaper journalist, he frequently uses fantasy to examine the illusions and pretensions surrounding cultural institutions, such as religion (Small Gods), opera (Maskerade), and our social fixation with celebrities (Lords and Ladies). In Hogfather, he focuses primarily on the complex set of beliefs surrounding Christmas, although in doing so he examines notions of childhood and religion as well.

Pratchett's choice of Christmas as a topic of satire is particularly apt because it is perhaps the most conflicted holiday in the Western calendar, particularly in the U.S.