Santa Claus could get a gender neutral rebrand as part of effort to ‘modernise’ Christmas
A survey of around 400 Brits showed more than 15 per cent think Father Christmas should be neither male or female
SANTA Claus should be gender neutral according to more than 15 per cent of Brits surveyed on how to modernise Christmas.
Those questioned on how to update Father Christmas were asked whether he should be male, female or gender neutral.
GraphicSprings asked 400 people from the US and the UK about the ways to modernise Santa.
In the UK nearly one in six those questioned thought Santa should be gender neutral.
And in America it was nearly one in five surveyed.
Other suggestions included ditching his iconic suit for skinny jeans, trainers, a hover-board and tattoos.
But on Twitter one person noted: "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!!"
Another tweeted: "Santx; the gender neutral Santa."
It come following a row over whether to allow a council in Durham to replace Father Christmas with Mrs Claus on a charity parade.
Independent councillor Arun Chandran in Newton Aycliffe said: "“Santa Claus is a male role. Children will be expecting a male Santa.”
And a vicar was accused of “crazy political correctness” after she dumped the Wise Men from a kids’ Christmas service in Birmingham.
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