A Santa Claus to celebrate diversity
Santa Claus was black at the party organized by Mkali Moments in Montreal on December 16, 2023. He was personified by Soney for the occasion. (Photo: Loubna Chlaikhy)
What if Santa Claus was black? Asian? Arab? Latino? When we think of the famous inhabitant of the North Pole, the image of a white, fat man, dressed in red and with a beard just as white as him, immediately comes to mind. However, the children he brings gifts to by the thousands every year are not all Caucasian, far from it. In Montreal, a few rare initiatives are trying to put more diversity into the magic of Christmas.
“Ho ho ho! ” As soon as Santa Claus entered the party organized by the event company Mkali Moments on December 16, the children's cries of joy resounded in the room. A scene that is repeated in all Christmas markets and shopping centers during this holiday season. However, one difference draws attention: Santa Claus is black. A rare choice that the organizer of the event claims.
A Christmas in color
“When I started my business three years ago, I wanted to organize a Christmas party for the children. Since I had never seen a black Santa Claus growing up, I thought it would be nice. As an adult, I realized that I had never seen Santa Claus who looked like me,” recalls Jacqueline Dzandu, a Quebecer of Ghanaian origin. Beyond the color of the skin, it is for her to offer children another representation of this character they love so much.
“At first, I thought I had a fairly communal audience, but you can see that there are families from all walks of life who come to share this moment of conviviality”, she is delighted. More than 150 people actually came to enjoy the activities for children (makeup workshop, games, visit of the Snow Queen...) as well as the local entrepreneur's market.
Nothing, in the invitation broadcast by Mkali Moments, indicated that Santa Claus would be different, except for a discreet emoji with ebony skin. Some parents, surprised at first, quickly welcomed the initiative.
Indifferent children
“Innocence is a child's best defense,” Lao She wrote in A son who fell from the sky, in 1934. Between the innocence and the blinding aura of this mythical character with a white beard, no child seems disturbed by the color of the skin of his idol. “It's really cool, I had never seen this, and my daughter said absolutely nothing,” assures Misha, Australian musician and exhibitor of the event. I don't think she can see the color difference and I am very happy about that.”
A widely shared observation. “I had never seen this before. I think that the idea that Santa Claus is white has been perpetuated for decades, without even asking the question; while not all of us are white. My kids are happy, all they see is Santa Claus! Besides, it's funny because, if you look closely at the patterns on my children's outfits, they're black Santa Claus heads,” laughs Tracey, a Montreal native. On Santa Claus's lap, his three- and six-month-old boys are smiling for the photo.
“I was surprised, but really happy! The kids saw no difference, I loved how they reacted. People need to be aware that all humans are the same, and that starts at a young age,” said Sherley, founder of Shey Accessories, which displays her jewelry.
One after the other, the toddlers list to Santa Claus the gifts they hope to find under the tree on the morning of December 25. Some are so moved that they jump around and have a hard time containing their excitement. Just ask them how they find this Santa Claus to understand that the ethnic question is not touching them: “He is too handsome! ”
However, the bet was far from being won for Mkali Moments. Starting with the difficult quest for a black Santa Claus.
A non-existent offer
Diversity is so rare in the Santa Claus Fellowship that simply looking for a black one is like rummaging through a haystack for a needle. The Quebec Professional Santa Claus Agency, located in Repentigny, does not offer this type of profile. “It is not a request that comes from the shopping centers we serve,” it is justified pragmatically. No demand, so no supply. But doesn't supply often create demand? Every year, Mkali Moments has to deal with this reality.
“When I started, three years ago, I didn't really know where to find a black Santa Claus,” says the event organizer with a laugh. I talked about it around me, and an acquaintance gave me the name of someone. In the second year, this person was not available, so I bought a nice suit and a friend took care of it. This year I had found someone, but when I contacted him again a few weeks ago, I had no response.” Once again, Jacqueline Dzandu had to resolve to ask for help from her loved ones. It was finally his stepfather who agreed to put on the red suit.
The founder of Mkali Moments, Jacqueline Dzandu, alongside her stepfather, Soney, aka Santa Claus. (Photo: Loubna Chlaikhy)
“I love the black Santa concept so I didn't hesitate to do it for her. Not everything related to Christmas can be white! ” exclaims someone called Soney in civilian life. He is 57 years old and came from Ghana four years ago. He worked in maintenance at a CIUSSS, until he obtained the difficult recognition of his diploma as an optician-eyewear manufacturer.
In the meantime, Soney is thrilled to be giving the children a colourful depiction of Santa Claus. “This is my first time doing this; I didn't know what to expect, but the kids are so happy that I could do it again every year. There was a little boy who was so excited to see Santa Claus that he walked past everyone to give me a hug — I think it's amazing. Things don't happen by magic, you have to cause them,” he confides.
While it's hard to challenge the cliché that Santa Claus is a white man, delving into the historical origins of this iconic figure helps to break these prejudices. What if Santa Claus was really black?
The ancestor of Santa Claus was not white
Originally, Christmas was a pagan holiday in the Roman Empire that marked the winter solstice on December 21. The return of light is celebrated with the lengthening of the days and the rebirth of nature. “From the moment when Christianity became the state religion, in 313 with the Emperor Constantine, the Church sought a date to symbolize the birth of Jesus, whose real date was not known. She chose this period, when light was already being celebrated, to symbolize the light of the world and the first great mystery of the birth of Jesus,” explains Catherine Foisy, professor of socio-religious history at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM).
As for the myth of Santa Claus, its much later appearance is linked to a historical character. “The character of Santa Claus was established from the more or less mythical story of Saint Nicolas, bishop of Myra in the 4th centuryE century after Jesus Christ. It is said that he revived children cut by a butcher and that he distributed gifts to children every year. It certainly did not have to be white, as it originated in the region of Lycia, which is in present-day Turkey. It must therefore have been much more tanned than the representation that is made of it today. It should be noted that all the characters in religious iconography are represented as white people, starting with Christ himself, whose Western representation does not correspond to what scientific advances have allowed us to discover”, assures the historian. A cultural appropriation that continues today.
Later, the tradition of Saint Nicolas was established in Europe before crossing the ocean. “It was very celebrated in the Netherlands. It was the Dutch immigrants who made the person they called known on this side of the Atlantic Sinterklaas — Who will become Santa Claus in the United States in the 18th centuryE century. It was then the cartoonist Thomas Nast who, in 1845, gave his first features to Santa Claus, with his beard, his place of residence at the North Pole, his lists of good children...” indicates Pierre Lahoud, co-author of Christmas and its traditions in Quebec.
Finally, capitalism took up this image for marketing purposes, creating the commercial holiday we know today. “We often talk about Coca-Cola, but they didn't create Santa Claus, they advertised him. The idea of a white Santa Claus was perpetuated, as the Western Church was white at the time and wanted symbols that spoke to the people, even though there is a good chance that Saint Nicholas was swarthy. But I think that this holiday is becoming pagan again and that, in a few years, we will have a much greater diversity in Christmas iconography,” he says. A prognosis that remains to be confirmed.
The ancestor of Santa Claus did not have the color of eternal snow. Moreover, Santa Claus takes on the features of those who celebrate him. In India, for example, Christmas Baba has brown skin. “I was born here, it's my culture. But Montreal is a multicultural city; so I just think it's good that this diversity is also visible at Christmas,” says Jacqueline Dzandu.