Survey: 27% of Americans Want Santa Claus to Be Female or Gender-Neutral

A new survey found that 27 percent of Americans want Santa Claus to be rebranded as either female or gender-neutral.

A new survey by a graphic design company revealed that 27 percent of Americans want to see Santa rebranded as a female or a gender-neutral figure. More than 10 percent of respondents said that Santa should be a woman. A whopping 17 percent said that Santa should be a “gender-neutral” figure.

“I picture a woman giving presents,” one New Jersey resident said. “I just feel like a white, old man giving presents is kind of creepy.”

“I think Santa is a mystical creature, so it can be whatever you want it to be,” said another New Jersey resident said, referring to the belief that Santa could be a “gender-neutral” figure.

Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas, a historical figure who lived between 270 and 343 AD. St. Nicholas inspired the traditional Santa Claus figure due to his real-life habit of secret gift-giving.