When Santa goes missing in action

Robert Herewini looked fantastic, beaming atop the sleigh, proudly wearing his blazing red korowai. Should he have been at the Nelson Santa Parade? Absolutely. A strong Ma¯ ori figure making a bold cultural statement was an excellent addition. Should he have been there in place of the more traditional European incarnation of Santa? Probably not. There was definitely room for both.

If the organisers of the parade were out to be provocative, they’ve handsomely achieved their aim. On the ugly side, the controversial move has pulled plenty of small-minded bigots out from under their social media rocks.

Equally, though, plenty have gone online to express sadness and disappointment that the children who went to see Santa, that international symbol of Christmas and magical figure who mesmerises kids, were left cruelly disappointed.

The argument goes that we are a South Pacific country with our own unique cultural identity, so why can’t we create our own unique way of celebrating Christmas?

Putting your own spin on Christmas is nothing new. Sweden has its Gavle goat, a giant wicker goat that people seem hellbent on trying to set alight every year. The Philippines celebrate Christmas with a lantern festival, and Austria has the Krampus, a horned fright mask representing Santa’s evil twin who goes around sticking naughty children in his sack. I kid you not.

So there’s definitely room for a specifically New Zealand Christmas custom to emerge. Sadly, though, a Ma¯ ori Santa isn’t it.

You could argue that Guy Fawkes is just an

excuse to set off fireworks in the name of some ancient terrorist bombing, but the timing is completely out of synch. Why not have it at Matariki instead? It gets darker earlier, the fire risk is lower, and it would underpin something that actually has meaning rooted deep in our own cultural tapestry.

The problem lies in knowing your audience. The crowd who lined Trafalgar St on Sunday were taken by surprise and left scratching their heads over a Santa Parade with no Santa. It’s a little like a community braced for a new set of shiny Christmas decorations waking up to festive tea towels flapping in the breeze like laundry day in the CBD.

There was probably a lesson in there somewhere, when the ensuing backlash came, about doing these things by stealth.

Give the crowd what they want, the old favourites. Don’t take it as a opportunity just to roll out all-new material. The public want something they can sing along to.

Santa parades are a combined effort, and they hinge on community goodwill. They only need to be bright, busy and colourful. And have a Santa bringing up the tail end.

It would a splendid thing to have someone fill the role that Robert Herewini did so well in future parades, and it needs to be clear that the furore is most definitely not his fault. In a sea of gaudy, the korowai was a touch of class, a dignified symbol of Ma¯ ori pride.

But don’t leave Santa at home. There may come a time when we are collectively ready to let go of Santa, and there may be a generation of children raised as non-believers. We’re not there yet.

There may come a time when we are collectively ready to let go of Santa, and there may be a generation of children raised as non-believers. We’re not there yet.