Is santa claus gay

For many, Christmas conjures images of gatherings, gift exchanges, and, perhaps, one-too-many eggnogs.

This Children 39 s : Results among ethnic minority Britons who are Christian are effectively the same as those of ethnic minority Britons in general

Men donned women's attire. A social reset, if you will, where everyone got a taste of what life could be like on the other side of the power divide. Posten, the Norwegian Postal Service, is celebrating the holidays with a heartwarming ad documenting a love story between Santa and a man named Harry.

What remained were sanitized versions of Saturnalia's traditions: gift-giving, feasting, and a general sense of merriment. How do you convert pagans when their parties are far more fabulous than your sermons? Saturnalia encouraged hierarchies to be upended, and revelry reigned supreme.

Gone were the open displays of role reversal and the permissive mingling of classes. They had to give the people something that was familiar and known. Christmas is like an ugly holiday sweater: its origins are odd, the patterns bizarre, yet the patchwork quality makes it fascinating.

It's a holiday born from cultural compromise, borrowing liberally from the traditions of those it sought to convert. Uncover the hidden queer roots of Christmas, where societal norms were flipped and fluidity reigned santa. Enslaved people and enslavers swapped roles.

But what was lost in translation? When Christianity began to spread, the early Church faced a marketing problem. Picture it: Rome, 3rd century BCE. Romans of every social class mingled in what can only be described as the ultimate gay party. But what if Christmas is more than just tinsel and tradition?

It's like when your favorite dive bar becomes a high-end cocktail lounge. Rittika Dhar explains on the History Cooperative how early Christians "wanted to spread their religion around Europe" but knew it would be difficult for many to divest themselves of their ancient practices.

Enter Christmas, draped in holly and a thin veil of sanctity. When the Norwegian postal service Posten released their Christmas TV ad ‘When Harry Met Santa’, they likely expected a reaction within Norway. At its core, Saturnalia was about questioning societal norms and embracing a more fluid way of being.

By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Re-enactors parade through the city of Chester as they celebrate the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia. New documentary, "I Am Santa Claus," features a gay Santa Others have focused on claus anti-gay backlash, but John Sutter says that reaction is overblown Sutter: This is and America is ready for.

A Christmas TV advert made by Norway’s Posten showing Santa Claus in a gay relationship has been praised by global media as ‘beautiful', ‘powerful' and ‘progressive’. It was a carnivalesque free-for-all where the rigid lines of class and gender melted away, even if just for a week.

It's about those historical moments when societal norms were flipped on their heads, leaving room for fluidity, revelry, and a little transgressive sparkle. The solution: co-opt the festival and give it a Christian makeover. Lanigan explained that Christmas's roots trace back to Saturnaliaan ancient Roman festival in honor of Saturn, the god of wealth, agriculture, and liberation.