Is Santa Claus Black, White or Brown skin?

It a debate I just heard on local talk radio this morning and I wonder what you members of SW think

Update:

Santa, is a skinny midget Asian woman with buck teeth

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LordShadowfire · M

St. Nicholas, on whom the Santa Claus myth is partly based, was a Turkish bishop. However, Odin, whose character traits have been appropriated and added to Santa, is a white Nordic god. So I guess he's mixed race?

basilfawlty89 · 31-35, M

@LordShadowfire modern Turkey, yes, but of Byzantine Greek descent. There were no Turks in modern day Turkey back then.

LordShadowfire · M

@basilfawlty89 Looks like you're right. If he was real, he was born around 280 ce, so the man himself was white.

But what the heck. Christmas magic. Santa is whatever kids want him to be.

basilfawlty89 · 31-35, M

@LordShadowfire true, although I should point out that Anatolian Greeks are not genetically the same as mainland Greeks, same with Cypriots. They have a lot of Middle Eastern DNA. Especially with the Anatolian Greeks, they often were assimilated native Anatolians who intermarried or converted to the Greek Orthodox church.

LordShadowfire · M

@basilfawlty89 I finally got motivated this morning to look up the whole story, and I found this fascinating National Geographic article. It's going to demand an email address, but if you're like me, you've got a spam catcher address you can give them. It costs nothing.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/131219-santa-claus-origin-history-christmas-facts-st-nicholas

basilfawlty89 · 31-35, M

@LordShadowfire thanks, I'll definitely give it a read.

LordShadowfire · M

@basilfawlty89 The short version is he was a Mediterranean looking gentleman, as you've suggested.