Why does the idea of a brown Santa get people so riled up? Comedian Janaye Henry gets in the Christmas spirit.

There are cultural traditions that are passed down lovingly from generation to generation, that teach us about who we are and celebrate our unique way of life, and then there are… the watered down version of British holidays we sort of adapted to the southern hemisphere, after they were adapted by Christianity from paganism or Nordic culture or whatever. I mean, why do shops paint snow on the windows in 25 degree heat? And how many New Zealanders have seen a reindeer?

Much like how Jesus would have had a tan IRL, Old Saint Nick, on whom the modern iteration of Santa is based, hails from a place near modern-day Turkey. Aka OG Santa was melanated af. So why does the idea of a Māori Santa get people soooo mad?