Father Christmas needs to be “decolonised” over “problems” with the “white” festive figure and his naughty list, a museum has claimed.
Brighton and Hove Museums also declared more “Mother Christmases” were needed to “show the next generation that men don’t have to be in charge”.
The museum made the claims in a blog post on its website, which suggested Santa should refrain from “judging” children and rewarding them based on a “Western binary of ‘naughty/nice’.”
“For many children, the story of Santa Claus is as much a part of Christmas as gifts and Christmas dinner. But the tale of a white, Western Santa who judges all children’s behaviour has problems.”
“As he visits each nation he determines if the children deserve presents based on being ‘naughty’ or ‘nice’,” it added.
“But who decided Santa should be the judge of children’s behaviour in every community?
“How can he assess, for example, Indigenous children practicing their own cultural traditions?
“Told like this, the story presents Santa as the ultimate authority of all societies.”
The museum suggested there were ‘problems’ with the tale of a ‘white, Western Santa’
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“This asks us to accept colonial assumptions of cultural superiority. It doesn’t recognise the complex realities colonised people face.”
The blog post also detailed a list of ways to “challenge the colonial gaze” in the festive tale, including by placing Santa in the toy factory to work “alongside the elves” in a show of equality.
It further suggested to present Santa as a “more diverse character who celebrates cultural exchange”.
“The goal is moving away from a colonial narrative of dominance. Instead, tell a story that emphasises cultural diversity, exchange and respect,” the blog concludes.
The blog post published on the Brighton and Hove Museums website also declared more ‘Mother Christmases’ were needed
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Toby Young, founder of the Free Speech Union, branded the museum “po-faced”.
He told The Telegraph: “I don’t think children in non-Christian countries are going to object when Santa pops down their chimney to give them a present.
“Is this museum suggesting they should leave a note saying ‘sorry, but this is a decolonised fireplace and white supremacists dressed in red aren’t welcome’?
“If so, it should rename itself the Right On and Po-Faced Museum.”
Reform MP Sarah Pochin also voiced criticism of the blog post, as well as of fears from free speech campaigners that singing to Christmas music containing “offensive” lyrics while in a pub could be banned under new laws.
She said: “There are parts of the establishment in this country whom I genuinely believe are mentally unwell.
“Father Christmas is too white? Jingle Bells is racist? Do They Know It’s Christmas is accused of pushing African stereotypes?
“The Wokerati are becoming more deranged and detached from reality by the day.”
A spokesman for the museum said the public were “free to agree or disagree” with the blog post.
Reform MP Sarah Pochin also voiced criticism of the museum’s blog post
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The spokesman said: “This blog post was written in 2023 as part of our Culture Change work.
“As museum educators, our role is not to tell people what is right or wrong, but to help audiences look at history and culture from more than one point of view and to create opportunities for discussion and debate, just as we do when interpreting art, objects and historic places.
“The piece about Father Christmas was intended to prompt reflection rather than prescribe how anyone should celebrate Christmas.
“It looks at how familiar stories are shaped, whose perspectives they centre, and how they might be explored when we include viewpoints beyond a white Western perspective.
“Encouraging curiosity, critical thinking and conversation is a core part of museum education.
“Presenting different ways of understanding cultural stories, including festive ones, is part of that work, and people are free to agree or disagree.”