A raging debate is agitating both Christians and non-Christians, which could potentially change how Santa Claus is globally viewed. In an online survey of four hundred people, the logo design company Graphic Springs asked participants whether they would change anything about Santa Claus – including gender to make him more inclusive than male.
The survey requested that people rebrand Santa Claus for the modern world, and as reported by Unilad, many participants would do various things differently when designing an up-to-date Santa.
“The new, ‘modern’ Santa has tattoos, a stylishly-trimmed beard (beard oil from Rudolph maybe for a present?), skinny jeans, trainers, and a hoverboard. This new and improved Santa – supposedly – is also said to be tech-savvy and looks like he could easily feature in GQ magazine,” said Unilad.
The four hundred people who participated in the survey were used by the logo design company to come up with a new look and feel for Santa Claus. Once they created an updated look of Jolly Old Saint Nick, they decided to hold a poll amongst four thousand people to decide on their favorite version of the redesign.
The survey found that 10% of respondents believe Santa Claus should be a woman. Not only did a number of people feel that Santa should be female, but an additional eighteen percent thought Santa Claus should be gender-neutral. The results of the survey found that over 25% of respondents felt that Santa Claus’s current gender does not accurately reflect what they believe to be a magical being who delivers presents to good children all around the world.
Although most people still believe Santa Claus should be male, there is a growing minority who think Santa should either be gender-neutral or female.
Pink News wrote “This opposition (…to Santa being gender neutral) hasn’t stopped a host of individuals and companies deciding that Santa can be anything anyone wants them to be. Last week, New Zealand’s Ponsonby Central shopping complex unveiled a gender-neutral Santa Claus as its Christmas display.”
The question of Santa Claus’s gender has been contested for many years, with no clear answer in sight. However, the more important question is whether or not Santa should remain male, or be changed to a gender-neutral figure. Predictions can be tricky, so only time will tell how the world reacts to this change and what other changes may come as a result. But there’s one thing we know for sure – many people are ready for a different version of Santa Claus.
In the next few years, Americans might have to accept that Santa Claus could be gender-neutral. How do you feel about this alteration? Should we celebrate a female or gender-neutral Santa Claus instead of sticking to the tradition of a man delivering presents on Christmas Eve?
