Must Santa always be an fat old white guy?

[The Alma Mater]

What I want to know is why the fuck did we make him fat?

Can you eat a billion cookies and stay thin ?

[Mystic Warriors]

Does it matter.

No.

[Vassenor]

To follow up on what I said, a good chunk of the deities associated with the winter solstice are in fact female. Including, but not limited to Alcyone, Ameratasu, Bona Dea, Cailleach Bheur, Demeter, Frau Holle and Frigga, among others.

So what? Santa isn't a diety, he's a saint.

Santa is a mishmash of a whole bunch of deities from when the Christians co-opted pagan solstice festivals for the purposes of forced conversion.

[Costa Fierro]

So what? Santa isn't a diety, he's a saint.

Santa is a mishmash of a whole bunch of deities from when the Christians co-opted pagan solstice festivals for the purposes of forced conversion.

Eh, I'd say that Santa became the representative of the idea of celebrating generosity (hence the gift-giving) that ended up being co-opted by corporate consumer interests to sell more crap.

[Vassenor]

Santa is a mishmash of a whole bunch of deities from when the Christians co-opted pagan solstice festivals for the purposes of forced conversion.

Eh, I'd say that Santa became the representative of the idea of celebrating generosity (hence the gift-giving) that ended up being co-opted by corporate consumer interests to sell more crap.

I mena in the UK he's literally referred to more by the name of one of the pagan spirits he's ripping off.

And the gift giving is ripped right from Saturnalia.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Eh, I'd say that Santa became the representative of the idea of celebrating generosity (hence the gift-giving) that ended up being co-opted by corporate consumer interests to sell more crap.

I mena in the UK he's literally referred to more by the name of one of the pagan spirits he's ripping off.

And the gift giving is ripped right from Saturnalia.

what name?

[The Free Joy State]

What I want to know is why the fuck did we make him fat?

Can you eat a billion cookies and stay thin ?

Not to mention: the mince pies, the milk, the sherry, the whisky, the beer, the cake, the Guinness and the rice pudding...

TBH, I'm surprised the reindeer aren't depicted as being plumper, considering the amount of carrots they get...

EDIT: There's actually a little piece here examining potential origins of how Santa turned from slender Saint Nicholas to jolly fat Santa Claus.

[The Huskar Social Union]

That fuck aint getting my cookies, he already tries to break into my house, he aint getting nothing else

[Dakini]

One of my friends volunteered to be Santa at her department Christmas party and everything was fine.

Santa doesn't have to be portrayed by a white dude and the only people who insist this has to be the case or get all upset about it need to take a good, long look at their lives and think about why they're so upset about the portrayal of a fictional character intended to amuse children.

[Hurdergaryp]

That fuck aint getting my cookies, he already tries to break into my house, he aint getting nothing else

The Huskar Social Union being a War On Christmas warrior confirmed.

[The Huskar Social Union]

That fuck aint getting my cookies, he already tries to break into my house, he aint getting nothing else

The Huskar Social Union being a War On Christmas warrior confirmed.

At the edge of our milk glasses, at the end of our cookie packets, we have chosen not only to believe in ourselves, but in each other. Today there is not a man nor woman in here that shall stand alone. Not today. Today we face the jolly fatman that is at our door and bring the fight to him! Today, we are canceling the Holidays!

[Infected Mushroom]

As you all know, I’m very opinionated on him being a white old man.

Anything else just wouldn’t feel “canon” or like a real Santa to me.

He’s a mostly European legend and since the industrial revolution he’s been white. That’s the modern canon Santa.

To change his race would be like changing Harry Potter to a Japanese character or alternatively making Light Yagami Caucasian English.

It just doesn’t seem right.

[Katganistan]

The most common contemporary depiction of Santa (the red suit, White/fat/old one) was supposedly created by the Coca Cola company. It is purely a seasonal logo for retailers.

Yup.

[Katganistan]

So let's think this through: Greeks are fat lily-white dudes with white beards now?
https://www.google.com/search?q=Greek+m ... 08&bih=667

Because St. Nicholas was Greek, and I'm not seeing anyone as lily white with button nose and cherry red cheeks here.

Greek people live in the sunny island nation of Greece. Santa lives in what is literally one of the coldest places on earth with half of the year spent in darkness and the other half spent with what is still a very low sun. Santa needs the blubber, it isn't a surprise at all he has lighter skin compared to your average greek, and he has cherry red cheeks because it's cold in the north pole. Also, just to clarify, Greek people are white. We're all on board with this right?

They are, but not the shade of skin associated with the "traditional" Coca-Cola inspired Santa. They tend towards being all kinds of shades, including if you looked at the google page, some that are quite tan.

People living on the Mediterranean tend to be that way. I didn't intend to imply they are black, simply that their skin tone is not the "traditionally represented" one.

This happens to be my favorite Santa:

And no worries about what color it is.

[The Alma Mater]

As you all know, I’m very opinionated on him being a white old man.

Anything else just wouldn’t feel “canon” or like a real Santa to me.

He’s a mostly European legend and since the industrial revolution he’s been white. That’s the modern canon Santa.

To change his race would be like changing Harry Potter to a Japanese character or alternatively making Light Yagami Caucasian English.

It just doesn’t seem right.

Were you upset when Marvel made Heimdall black ?

[Infected Mushroom]

As you all know, I’m very opinionated on him being a white old man.

Anything else just wouldn’t feel “canon” or like a real Santa to me.

He’s a mostly European legend and since the industrial revolution he’s been white. That’s the modern canon Santa.

To change his race would be like changing Harry Potter to a Japanese character or alternatively making Light Yagami Caucasian English.

It just doesn’t seem right.

Were you upset when Marvel made Heimdall black ?

I did not feel the change made sense. Since Heimdall was supposed to be Sif's brother (but they kept Sif white). That wasn't mentioned in the movie so maybe its a comic only detail.

Even overlooking that, the planet is supposed to be largely based on Norse mythology so... why would there be non-whites in Norse mythology?

Yeah I don't understand the change...

But why is this an issue?

[The Alma Mater]

Were you upset when Marvel made Heimdall black ?

I did not feel the change made sense. Since Heimdall was supposed to be Sif's brother (but they kept Sif white). That wasn't mentioned in the movie so maybe its a comic only detail.

Even overlooking that, the planet is supposed to be largely based on Norse mythology so... why would there be non-whites in Norse mythology?

Yeah I don't understand the change...

But why is this an issue?

Because in mythology Heimdall is explicitly described as whiter than white. .

[Infected Mushroom]

I did not feel the change made sense. Since Heimdall was supposed to be Sif's brother (but they kept Sif white). That wasn't mentioned in the movie so maybe its a comic only detail.

Even overlooking that, the planet is supposed to be largely based on Norse mythology so... why would there be non-whites in Norse mythology?

Yeah I don't understand the change...

But why is this an issue?

Because in mythology Heimdall is explicitly described as whiter than white. .

what do you mean?

[Pope Joan]

So what? Santa isn't a diety, he's a saint.

Santa is a mishmash of a whole bunch of deities from when the Christians co-opted pagan solstice festivals for the purposes of forced conversion.

What deities? No siant I know would ever want to be called that

[Reikoku]

To follow up on what I said, a good chunk of the deities associated with the winter solstice are in fact female. Including, but not limited to Alcyone, Ameratasu, Bona Dea, Cailleach Bheur, Demeter, Frau Holle and Frigga, among others.

Amaterasu is not associated with the winter solstice, and I'm willing to bet that most of the other deities listed weren't either.

[The Alma Mater]

To follow up on what I said, a good chunk of the deities associated with the winter solstice are in fact female. Including, but not limited to Alcyone, Ameratasu, Bona Dea, Cailleach Bheur, Demeter, Frau Holle and Frigga, among others.

Amaterasu is not associated with the winter solstice

A quick google begs to differ - her appearance from the cave is consistently mentioned to be celebrated at the solstice.

[The Archregimancy]

Can Santa be portrayed as anything other than a fat old white man?

So long as he looks like a fourth-century Greek bishop from southern Anatolia, I don't see why not.

[The South Falls]

Can Santa be portrayed as anything other than a fat old white man?

So long as he looks like a fourth-century Greek bishop from southern Anatolia, I don't see why not.

I mean, I'd rather have the large, white-beard man..

[Cetacea]

Were you upset when Marvel made Heimdall black ?

I did not feel the change made sense. Since Heimdall was supposed to be Sif's brother (but they kept Sif white). That wasn't mentioned in the movie so maybe its a comic only detail.

Even overlooking that, the planet is supposed to be largely based on Norse mythology so... why would there be non-whites in Norse mythology?

Yeah I don't understand the change...

But why is this an issue?

The Vikings were familiar with North Africans calling them blámaðr (Blue men), there were Norse mercenaries who fought the Moors in Spain and North African Merchants visited Jutland. The point being if Asgard is a planet that was dominated by Norse culture, then there is no reason to presume that there wouldnt be blámaðr on too

As to being Sifs brother, I know a couple of families where half-siblings are different colours/ethnicities

[Mushet]

When I was a kid I thought Santa Claus was Inuit since he lived in the North Pole, made sense to me.