Santa has always been portrayed as a cheerful and jolly man with a white beard dressed in red. But according to a new poll, people want to see a modern Santa next Christmas.
GraphicSprings, a logo creation company, collected answers from 400 people in the U.S. and United Kingdom about different ways to modernize St. Nick.
The company’s survey asked: “If you could ‘rebrand’ Santa for modern society, what gender would he be and how would he look?”
A modern Santa with tattoos
Photo: GraphicSprings
Regarding the gender, about 11 percent answered that Santa should be a female, over 17 percent suggested that Santa should be “gender-neutral” but the majority, 72 percent, still sticks with the tradition and suggest that Santa is a man.
But when it comes to Santa’s look, the participants agreed that he definitely needs a makeover.
In fact, today’s modern Santa, according to the participants, looks nothing like his traditional portrayal.
Instead, he should ditch his traditional suit and put on some skinny jeans, change his boots to sneakers and jump on a hoverboard or a flying car.
Here’s how people voted:
—22 percent said he should trade the sleigh and reindeer for a flying car.
—25 percent said he should turn in his boots and wear trainers.
—21 percent said he should go on a diet.
—23 percent said he should use Amazon Prime.
—20 percent said a tattooed Santa would be cool.
—18 percent said he should get a new hairstyle and wear skinny jeans.
See the full poll here.
Twitter reacts to a gender-neutral Santa
Over social media, people had a lot of mixed opinions, especially when it came to Santa’s gender.
Santx; the gender neutral Santa
— Bront (@bismuth0000) December 8, 2018
I’m all for equality but the idea that we should make Santa gender neutral or female is ridiculous! You cannot change history – St Nicholas, the guy who started the whole stocking hanging thing was a man!! #Christmas
— Jane Dickinson (@janiedmbe) December 13, 2018
— Mike G. (@mjgeezy99) December 14, 2018
In other words, whether male, female, or gender-neutral, Santa is still Santa. You’ll have traditional Santa views in some areas and less traditional ones in others. How is that a bad thing? Are we really about to deny others the opportunity to make kids happy?
— Brad Gandy ?♿️?️? (@lelasbrother) December 14, 2018
About time Santa is considered gender neutral
— Mike G. (@mjgeezy99) December 14, 2018
The debate about making Santa gender neutral or a female really put me in a bad mood
— jess ? (@Jessica120702) December 14, 2018
The history behind Santa Claus
The jolly man we know as Santa has its own story that stretches all the way back to the 3rd century.
The famous character was originally based on a Christian bishop named St. Nicholas in a small Roman town, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
Known for helping people and giving away gifts he became the model for Sinterklaas, an elder 17th Century gentleman dressed as a bishop, who brought Dutch children gifts in early December.
It was at the 19th Century when Coca-Cola’s interpretation transformed Sinterklaas from a bishop to the cheerful, white-bearded, Santa Claus that Americans know today.
If Santa should be gender-neutral or get a makeover will probably continue to be a debate.
We’ll just have to wait and see what Santa will look like in the future.
