Santas warned 'ho ho ho' offensive to women

Wed Nov 14, 11:04 PM ET


In this file photo, Santa Clauses are pictured gathering on the tarmac, after being "flown from The North Pole" to Sydney International Airport. Santas in Sydney have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.(AFP/File/Torsten Blackwood)

SYDNEY (AFP) - Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.

Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.

One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.

"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.

"We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho, ho, ho" has any other connotation and nor should they," she told the Telegraph.

"Leave Santa alone."

A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.

Sorry.. but HA HA HA.. just is not the same as HO HO HO...

I think we know the difference between being called a HO.. and Santa saying ho ho ho!!