What race is Santa?

Though most often portrayed as white, Santa is also depicted as black or of other races. His race or color is sometimes a subject of controversy.

What ethnicity is Santa Claus?

Santa Claus may be popularly known as a white-bearded benefactor with Dutch-English origins, but multiethnic versions of Santa are making the rounds out there too -- illustrating that in an increasingly diverse United States, Santa takes on whatever color you imagine him to be.

What skin color was Santa?

The real Saint Nicholas is likely to have had olive skin, dark brown eyes and a wide chin and brow. He stood at 1.68 metres (5ft 6in) and had a broken nose. However, according to the researchers, he did sport white hair and a beard - as was the fashion for 4th century religious leaders.

What color was Santa originally?

In fact, when Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly in 1862, Santa was a small elflike figure who supported the Union. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red he's known for today.

Was St. Nicholas white or black?

Saint Nicholas was a white European.

He was born sometime after 260 in Patara, a port town on the coast of modern-day Turkey. The region had been colonized by the Greeks centuries earlier.

Santa's Race

How did Santa become white?

The appearance of St. Nicholas, whose kindness and generosity inspired this legendary character, was lost and forgotten. At the time, it probably made sense to make Santa Claus white, as people of color weren't really accepted into society and weren't represented equally.

Was there a black Santa Claus?

Diverse depictions of Santa have become more accessible to families over the last few years. In 2016, the Mall of America had its first Black Santa. Now, with a growing push for diversity and representation, diverse Santas are much easier to come by. "You can find Black Santa at Hobby Lobby, T.J.

Is Santa A elf?

But if you read The Night Before Christmas, the 1822 poem that established Santa's modern form, you'll see that he's not a big guy at all. He's an elf. He's not even a little bit big. And this is not even alluded to; it's stated very clearly.

What is Santa's real name?

Santa's real name is Saint Nicholas, and in many countries, he's still called that, including in Germany, where Sankt Nikolaus still visits children. The name Saint Nicholas has morphed into Santa Claus and that has become the most widespread name for Santa.

Who created Santa Claus?

Much earlier, the American cartoonist Thomas Nast fashioned Santa Claus's image on the pages of the American magazine Harper's Weekly. The character of Santa Claus is believed to descend from Bishop Nicholas of Myra, who lived in the 4^th century.

Was Santa originally green?

Prior to Nast's work, Santa's outfit was tan in color, and it was he that changed it to red, although he also drew Santa in a green suit. This change is often mistakenly attributed to the work of Haddon Sundblom, who drew images of Santa in advertising for the Coca-Cola Company since 1931.

What is the black Santa name?

In an exclusive clip from upcoming HBO Max documentary film “Santa Camp,” a Black Santa Claus, whose real name is Chris Kennedy, reads a hateful, racist letter he received in front of other Santa Clauses before burning it in a fire.

Who is the Mexican Santa Claus?

Pancho Claus is a Mexican version of Santa Claus popular in parts of the United States, particularly Texas. Pancho Claus is sometimes referred to as a "Tex-Mex" version of Santa.

Was Santa a female?

Santa is always depicted as a friendly, chubby bearded and respectable elderly man. He brings joy by giving toys to children. Actually, while attempts have been made to imagine a female Santa, she's a one-dimensional character: always dressed in skimpy clothes and depicted as a naughty plaything for men.

Was Santa ever a kid?

Long before he lived in the North Pole, and long before his yearly Christmas visits brought joy to all the children of the world, Santa Claus was a child himself. He was once just an ordinary baby boy named Nicholas. The baby boy was just like any other, but his parents hoped for great things from their only son.

Are parents the real Santa?

The answer is no. We are not Santa. There is no one, single Santa. We are the people who fill your stocking and choose and wrap the presents under the tree—just as our parents did for us, their parents did for them and you will do for your kids someday.

What is Santa's real age?

According to the blog Email Santa, Santa Claus is 1,751 years old as of 2022. In fact, the origins of Santa Claus can be traced all the way back to a monk named Saint Nicholas, who was born between 260 and 280 A.D.

Does Santa have a twin?

The common Christmas expression is thought to be derived from a Western European folklore known as Krampus. The mythological figure — who is half goat, half demon — is the evil twin of Saint Nicholas and was supposedly invented in the middle ages to discipline kids according to National Geographic.

What is Santa Claus's wife name?

The Santa Claus that we know lives in the North Pole. According to some North American sources, his original name was Kris Kringle before he changed his name to Santa Claus. Kris Kringle was a toymaker who married Jessica. Other names found for Mrs Claus are Mary Christmas, Gertrude, and Carol.

Is Santa a real human?

According to historical records, Santa is real. Santa is real in the sense that he was an actual person. Otherwise known as Saint Nicholas, his story goes all the way back to the 3rd century. He was a monk who was born in 280 A.D. in modern-day Turkey.

Is Santa a God?

In spite of the cultural support and efforts to convince children to believe in Santa Claus, belief in Santa outside of middle childhood remains essentially non-existent. Santa fails to reach the status of a god (broadly construed).

How old is Santa's oldest elf?

They state that one of the oldest elves around is 4,000 years old, and he goes by the name of Kringle. The youngest is only 700 and is named Buttercup. As you can see, Santa is always on the lookout for new elves with plenty of holiday spirit.

Did Santa ever go to jail?

Nicholas was the 4th-century Greek Bishop of Myra (in present-day Turkey). Under the Roman emperor Diocletian, who persecuted Christians, Nicholas spent some five years in prison—and according to some accounts, in solitary confinement.

Was Santa once blue?

The director of the American Toy Marvel Museum says the blue color was traditional for the German version of St. Nicholas.

Does China have a Santa?

Santa is known as 'Sheng dan Lao ren' in Mandarin, which translates as 'Christmas Old Man', and he is seen as a non-religious figure who lives in a fairytale Arctic Christmas Village in China's North Pole.