Mx Claus Emoji
U+1F9D1 U+200D U+1F384:mx_claus:Skin tonesAbout Mx Claus 🧑🎄
Mx Claus () is part of the People & Body group in Unicode. Added in Unicode E13.0. Type on GitHub and Slack to use it. Click copy above to grab it, paste it anywhere.
Works in iMessage, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Instagram, Twitter, Gmail, and every app that supports Unicode. Pick a skin tone above to customize it.
Often associated with celebration, christmas, claus, and 8 more keywords.
Meaning varies across cultures, see cultural notes below.
Scroll down for the full story: meaning, trends, combos, and more.
How it looks
What does it mean?
A gender-neutral person in a red Santa hat. 🧑🎄 is the first emoji in the Unicode standard to use the "Mx" honorific in its official name. Mx (pronounced like "mix" or "mux") is a gender-neutral title used in place of Mr., Mrs., or Ms. The name "Mx Claus" doesn't refer to Santa, Mrs. Claus, or any specific character in folklore. It's a deliberate non-binary alternative.
The emoji was added in Emoji 13.0 (2020) as part of the most gender-inclusive emoji release in Unicode history. It was part of the same batch that brought 🤵♀️ (Woman in Tuxedo), 👰♂️ (Man with Veil), and 🏳️⚧️ (Transgender Flag). The move generated headlines, applause, and backlash in roughly equal measure.
In 2018, a GraphicSprings survey found that 27% of respondents wanted Santa Claus to be either female (10.6%) or gender-neutral (17.2%). The survey went viral, sparked a "War on Christmas" backlash on morning shows and cable news, and demonstrated exactly the cultural tension that the emoji would later embody.
In texting, 🧑🎄 is used for Christmas cheer, holiday content, Secret Santa discussions, and as a representation option for people who don't identify with the gendered 🎅 (Santa Claus) or 🤶 (Mrs. Claus) emojis. It's the holiday emoji that says "the spirit of giving doesn't have a gender."
On social media, 🧑🎄 sees its heaviest use during the November-December holiday season. It appears in gift guides, holiday greetings, advent calendar content, and Christmas aesthetics posts. Non-binary and gender-nonconforming users have adopted it as their holiday representative.
The emoji generated significant media coverage when Apple rolled it out in iOS 14.2 (November 2020). Fox Business, the Daily Signal, and the Inquirer all covered the "gender-neutral Santa emoji," with reactions ranging from celebration to outrage.
In progressive and LGBTQ+ communities, 🧑🎄 is used year-round as a fun identity marker, not just during Christmas. In mainstream use, most people default to 🎅 or 🤶 and use 🧑🎄 primarily when they want to be explicitly inclusive in group communications.
The Emojipedia blog post "Who is Mx Claus?" is one of the most detailed explanations of any single emoji's cultural context. It traced the emoji's path from Unicode proposal to cultural flashpoint.
Mx Claus: a gender-neutral holiday figure wearing a Santa hat. It's the inclusive alternative to 🎅 (Santa Claus) and 🤶 (Mrs. Claus). Used for holiday greetings, gift-giving content, and inclusive messaging. The 'Mx' title (pronounced 'mix') is gender-neutral.
Like 'mix' or 'mux.' It's a gender-neutral honorific used in place of Mr., Mrs., or Ms. The title is gaining adoption in English-speaking countries, particularly in the UK.
The Christmas emoji family
What it means from...
From a crush during the holidays, 🧑🎄 might just mean festive spirit. If they choose this over 🎅 or 🤶, they might be signaling inclusive values or non-binary identity. Either way, it's holiday energy, not romantic subtext.
Between partners, 🧑🎄 is holiday planning and festive vibes. "Secret Santa list 🧑🎄" or "what do you want for Christmas 🧑🎄?" is standard December communication. For non-binary partners, it's their specific holiday representative.
Among friends, it's used for holiday coordination, Secret Santa draws, and inclusive holiday messages. "Merry Christmas from 🧑🎄" in a group chat avoids assuming anyone's gender preferences.
In family contexts, older relatives probably use 🎅 or 🤶. Younger family members who are gender-conscious might use 🧑🎄. It's a generational marker as much as a holiday emoji.
At work, 🧑🎄 is the safe corporate holiday emoji. It's inclusive without being political (in theory). HR-approved holiday messaging tends toward gender-neutral options. "Happy holidays from the team 🧑🎄" covers all bases.
From a stranger, it's holiday content or inclusive messaging. Brands use it in December marketing to signal inclusivity.
Flirty or friendly?
🧑🎄 is seasonal and friendly, never flirty. It's a holiday emoji. The closest it gets to romantic territory is "I got you something 🧑🎄🎁" which is gift-giving, not seduction.
- •During December? Just holiday spirit.
- •Outside December? They really love Christmas or they're making a point.
- •In a dating bio? Values signaling (inclusivity).
- •Never romantic. Always festive.
Holiday spirit. If they chose 🧑🎄 over 🎅, they're either being inclusive, non-binary, or simply used the first Santa emoji they found. Don't read politics into every holiday greeting.
Emoji combos
Origin story
The story of 🧑🎄 starts with a question that went viral: what if Santa wasn't male?
In December 2018, GraphicSprings conducted a survey asking 4,000 people in the UK and US if they'd "rebrand" Santa for modern society. 27% said yes: 10.6% wanted a female Santa, and 17.2% wanted a gender-neutral one. The survey was fact-checked by Snopes (the methodology was questioned, since the question offered only three options: male, female, or gender-neutral) and covered by ABC News, US News, and ITV. Piers Morgan declared on Good Morning Britain that Father Christmas is "male," period.
Two years later, Emoji 13.0 (2020) arrived with 🧑🎄 Mx Claus. The Unicode Emoji Subcommittee had recommended combining 🧑 (Person) with 🎄 (Christmas Tree) to create a gender-neutral holiday figure. The name "Mx Claus" was chosen because Mx is a gender-neutral honorific) used in English-speaking countries. It was the first emoji to use this title.
Fox Business and Daily Caller framed it as culture war territory. The Daily Signal paired it with the transgender flag emoji as evidence of a progressive agenda. Meanwhile, LGBTQ+ media and inclusive tech publications celebrated it.
The emoji sits at the intersection of holiday tradition and identity politics. For some, it's a warm, inclusive way to spread holiday cheer. For others, it's an unnecessary alteration to a beloved cultural figure. Both reactions are strong, which makes 🧑🎄 one of the most culturally charged emojis in the standard.
Added in Emoji 13.0 (2020) as a ZWJ sequence: (Person) + (ZWJ) + (Christmas Tree). First emoji to use the "Mx" honorific in its official Unicode name. Part of the gender-inclusive batch that also included 🤵♀️, 👰♂️, and 🏳️⚧️. The naming convention "Mx Claus" was recommended by the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee.
Design history
Around the world
Santa Claus as a concept is primarily Western Christian (derived from Saint Nicholas and northern European gift-giving traditions). The gender-neutral version carries additional cultural weight.
In English-speaking progressive contexts, 🧑🎄 is an inclusivity tool. In conservative Christian communities, a gender-neutral Santa can feel like an attack on tradition. The emoji sits right on this cultural fault line.
In countries where Christmas isn't widely celebrated (much of East Asia, the Middle East, South Asia), the emoji reads as a generic holiday figure without the gender politics. The culture war aspect is specifically Western, specifically English-speaking.
In Scandinavian countries, the gift-giving figure (Jultomten in Sweden, Julenisse in Norway) has traditionally been more elf-like than the American Santa. A gender-neutral version might be less controversial there because the character was never as firmly gendered.
The "Mx" title itself is primarily used in the UK, US, Australia, and New Zealand. In non-English-speaking countries, the title has no equivalent, so the name "Mx Claus" is culture-specific.
Mx Claus doesn't represent Santa or Mrs. Claus specifically. It's a gender-neutral holiday figure created by Unicode to provide an inclusive option. The 'Mx' honorific doesn't indicate male or female gender. Emojipedia wrote a whole blog post exploring the question.
Because it touched the intersection of gender-neutral language and Christmas tradition. Fox Business, Daily Caller, and other conservative outlets framed it as 'War on Christmas' material. LGBTQ+ and progressive media celebrated it as representation. The emoji is politically neutral in design but politically charged in reception.
Often confused with
🎅 (Santa Claus) is the male-gendered version. 🧑🎄 is gender-neutral. Use 🎅 when specifically referencing the traditional male Santa character, 🧑🎄 for inclusive holiday messaging.
🎅 (Santa Claus) is the male-gendered version. 🧑🎄 is gender-neutral. Use 🎅 when specifically referencing the traditional male Santa character, 🧑🎄 for inclusive holiday messaging.
Do's and don'ts
- ✓Use for inclusive holiday greetings that don't assume gender
- ✓Include in corporate and HR holiday messaging
- ✓Use as a non-binary holiday representative
- ✓Deploy in Secret Santa and gift-giving contexts
- ✗Lecture people who prefer 🎅 or 🤶 (everyone has their preference)
- ✗Use it to mock gender-neutral language or non-binary identity
- ✗Assume everyone will understand what 'Mx' means (it's still niche outside progressive spaces)
- ✗Use it as a political statement unless you're prepared for the debate that follows
Caption ideas
Aesthetic sets
Type it as text
Fun facts
- •🧑🎄 is the first emoji to use the Mx honorific in its official Unicode name. Mx (pronounced 'mix' or 'mux') is a gender-neutral title that's gaining adoption alongside Mr., Mrs., and Ms.
- •A 2018 GraphicSprings survey found 27% of people wanted Santa to be female or gender-neutral. The survey was fact-checked by Snopes and debated on ITV and Good Morning Britain.
- •🧑🎄 was part of Emoji 13.0 (2020), called the most gender-inclusive emoji release ever. The batch also included the transgender flag 🏳️⚧️, woman in tuxedo 🤵♀️, and man with veil 👰♂️.
- •Fox Business and Daily Caller covered Mx Claus as culture war material. LGBTQ+ media celebrated it. The emoji is one of the most politically polarizing characters in the standard.
- •New Zealand's Ponsonby Central shopping complex unveiled a gender-neutral Santa as its 2018 Christmas display, predating the emoji by two years.
Common misinterpretations
- •Using 🧑🎄 in a conservative or traditional religious context can spark debate about the 'War on Christmas.' The emoji is politically neutral in intent but politically charged in reception.
- •Some people don't recognize 🧑🎄 as a holiday figure at all. Without the gendered cues of 🎅 (beard, red suit) or 🤶 (gray hair, glasses), 🧑🎄 can look like just a person in a Santa hat. The Mx Claus identity needs context.
In pop culture
- •Emojipedia's "Who is Mx Claus?" blog post is one of the most detailed explorations of any single emoji's cultural context. It traces the path from Unicode proposal to cultural flashpoint.
- •The 2018 GraphicSprings survey became a media event in its own right. Covered by ABC, US News, ITV, and Good Morning Britain, it demonstrated that the question 'should Santa be gender-neutral?' was guaranteed to generate strong reactions.
- •Apple's announcement of Mx Claus alongside other inclusive emojis in iOS 14.2 was covered by tech and lifestyle media as a representation milestone.
- •The Daily Signal and Fox Business framed the emoji as evidence of progressive cultural influence, pairing it with the transgender flag in their coverage.
Trivia
For developers
- •ZWJ sequence: (Person) + + (Christmas Tree). Total: 3 codepoints.
- •Supports skin tone modifiers on the person component.
- •Shortcodes: (GitHub, Slack).
- •This is the first emoji to use the Mx honorific in its official Unicode name. If building search, include 'mx claus', 'gender neutral santa', and 'holiday person' as search terms.
- •Seasonal usage: spikes November-December. Plan emoji picker prominence accordingly.
Emoji 13.0 (2020), alongside the transgender flag, woman in tuxedo, and man with veil. It was part of the most gender-inclusive emoji release in Unicode history.
See the full Emoji Developer Tools guide for regex patterns, encoding helpers, and more.
Which holiday emoji do you prefer?
Select all that apply
- Mx Claus Emoji (emojipedia.org)
- Who is Mx Claus? (Emojipedia blog) (emojipedia.org)
- Gender-neutral Santa survey (PinkNews) (thepinknews.com)
- Gender-neutral Santa survey (US News) (usnews.com)
- Gender-neutral Santa (Snopes fact-check) (snopes.com)
- Apple gender-neutral Santa (Fox Business) (foxbusiness.com)
- Apple inclusive emojis (Trill Mag) (trillmag.com)
- Gender-neutral emoji (TechCrunch) (techcrunch.com)
- Mrs. Claus and Mx. Too (Dictionary.com) (dictionary.com)
- Mx (title) (wikipedia.org)
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