Smoking Santa edited out of Christmas classic

A Vancouver publisher is raising furry white eyebrows with her decision to censor Santa’s naughty behaviour out of the beloved children’s book, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Pamela McColl says the time has come to edit the Christmas Eve classic that has delighted children and adults for nearly two centuries.

“I absolutely think that children need to be protected,” McColl told CTV News.

The offending passage: The stump of a pipe held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

“I thought, ‘Wait a minute. Is that a good image for kids to be seeing?’” McColl said. “I don’t think they should be exposed to positive imagery of tobacco.”

But not everyone agrees. Kevin Murray, manager of the City Cigar Emporium, said McColl is violating a traditional holiday story in the interest of “political correctness.”

“After 180 years, Santa’s pipe is being sacrificed,” Murray said. “He enjoys his pipe. I’ll tell you right now, I met Santa – he comes in every December, literally in his gear – and he’s a pipe smoker.”

But children’s literature teacher Christianne Hayward said she has no issue with forcing Santa to butt out, and she may use the new version to spark conversation.

“I would use it as a provocation for discussion and see what kids think. Do they notice that Santa’s smoking, what do they think about that?” Hayward said.

“I’d be more upset if she’d actually changed words. Removing the piece out of it doesn’t bother me that much.”

With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Shannon Paterson

Have your say: Would you prefer to see Santa sans-pipe?