“A lovely Christmas present from Enako” gives us an opportunity to think about linguistics too.

The question of if Santa Claus is real is one of those things that’s hard to prove one way or the other. Some would say there’s no way one guy in a sleigh could fly all around the world delivering presents in the span of a single night. On the other hand, every year there are a whole lot of people who wake up on Christmas morning to find the cookies they left out for Santa have been eaten and presents left in their place, and so the debate goes on.

However, while we can’t conclusively say if Santa is real, every December in Japan we get a reminder that Santacos is. Short for “Santa cosplay,” Santacos is the tradition of cosplayers and gravure models dressing up in Christmas-y couture at this time of year, and for some fans is as much a cause for celebration as the holiday itself.

Naturally, top cosplayer Enako is taking part in the Santacos festivities this year, through a partnership with Young Animal Web. The online manga site, an offshoot of publisher Hakusensha’s Young Animal print-edition comic anthology, let everyone know that Enako’s Santacos was on the way with a tweet announcing “A white Christmas with Enako. A lovely Christmas present from Enako just for Young Animal readers! Thank you for this lovely miracle on a holy night.”

However, as popular as Santacos may be, there’s a linguistic argument to be made that the term is misleading. It’s generally only used to describe female cosplayers dressed up in cute and/or sexy outfits with a Christmas theme, often involving red velvet and white fur trim. A guy dressed up in an outfit that looks like the one Santa Claus wears, though, ordinarily wouldn’t be said to be doing “Santacos.”

You could also assert that women’s clothing with such Christmas motifs is arguably something that Mrs. Claus, not Santa himself, would wear. However, “Clauscos” has never been used to describe outfits like the ones Enako is wearing here. In fact, while depictions of Santa Claus are common in Christmas decorations in Japan, along with reindeer and snowmen, Mrs. Claus herself is rarely, if ever, seen.

Of course, linguistics is a highly subjective matter, and the meanings and nuances of words can shift and evolve over time. For now, Santacos, or Santakosu, if you’re using the Japanese pronunciation, is the term, but if you feel the need for further reference material to peruse as you ponder whether or not it’s the best choice, the rest of Enako’s Silent White Christmas cosplay photos can be found on the Young Animal Web website.

Related: Young Animal Web
Source, images: PR Times
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