Finding Anything But A White Santa Is Hard, But Possible Thanks To Target
Finding Christmas wrapping paper that features anything but a white Santa shouldn’t be hard. Especially in 2018. But unsurprisingly, it’s not easy to find. That is unless you shop at Target. For holiday 2018, Target and Minted are collaborating to create fun and chic wrapping paper. One of the sets is thankfully featuring multi ethnic Santa print. Unfortunately, the wrapping paper is no longer available from Target, but it is via Minted. The fact that it exists at all is a huge win for people of color. All kids should be able to see a Santa that looks like them. And even if it’s just on wrapping paper, it makes a big difference.
The wrapping paper came in a two pack with a “Fa la la” print that was equally adorable. Minted is a go-to for slightly upscale cards and the like. So it’s not a surprise that the prints, while endearing to children, are not average. The multi ethnic Santa print has Santas of different skin tones, all with the same expression. Their skin colors may be different, but you cannot deny that it’s Santa. On a mint green background, the repeating print is striking; if you see it, you’re just drawn to it. Frankly, it’s gorgeous.
Some people may not believe that multi ethnic Santa paper is a big deal. But it 100 percent is. As far as we know, Santa doesn’t have any sort of racial background. Many cultures have their own version of the Santa narrative, so it’s hard to pinpoint. But because we live in a world where whiteness is the default, Santa is always portrayed as white. You can find things with Santas of color, but it is not easy. Only a handful of places around the country feature a black Santa, and he’s not out in the open.
Look, we adults know that Santa isn’t real, right? So, if he’s not real, why can’t he be whatever race we want him to be? Why shouldn’t kids of color get to see a Santa who looks like them? Stores shouldn’t still be subscribing to the fact that whiteness is the default anymore. Not when people of color are quickly becoming less of a minority.
Target is often leading the charge when it comes to these kind of societal changes. While they likely won’t bring back the print again next year, hopefully they’ll bring in something similar. And hopefully other companies who make gift wrap and cards and the like will begin to see the need for this. A multi ethnic Santa shouldn’t be a big deal anymore. And maybe soon it won’t be.
