As MEMRI DTTM Reporting has shown in recent years, there has been a notable increase in the use of social media platforms by neo-Nazis and white supremacists to propagate hateful messaging during the Christmas season. Platforms such as Telegram, Gab, and others have become channels for the dissemination of extremist ideologies. Christmas has been a focal point of the year for many of these groups. Neo-Nazis have exploited the festive period as both an excuse and as a strategic means to further their divisive narratives, intertwining their extremist ideologies with the cultural significance of Christmas.[1]
The holiday season has witnessed the appropriation of Christmas memes by extremist groups as a tool for spreading their ideas and conspiracy theories. This use of Christmas-themed memes not only exploits the inherently light-hearted nature of the holiday season but also demonstrates the adaptability of extremist groups in seeking new avenues to disseminate their ideologies through widely consumed online content. Other neo-Nazis and white supremacists have used the fear of a cultural "war on Christmas" to fuel further resentment and hatred.
The following report highlights the exploitation of Christmas by neo-Nazis and white supremacists on Telegram, Gab, X, and other platforms.
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Neo-Nazis Share Christmas Memes And A.I.-Generated Images
An Argentinian X user shared, on December 24, an AI-generated image of Hitler in a Christmas-themed outfit holding a tray of cookies and holding up a Happy Merchant cookie. The user wrote: "Is it possible to bake 6 million cookies in such a short time for Christmas? I think not."
On Telegram, a Canadian white supremacist channel forwarded, on December 23, a post with AI-generated images of gingerbread men wearing SS uniforms and giving Nazi salutes.
An eco-accelerationist Telegram channel posted a graphic on December 25 featuring Unabomber Ted Kaczynski in a Santa Claus hat, holding an explosive device and a Molotov cocktail. The text states: "I heard Santa was going around town and sending special SUPRISES to the Tech CEOs! Merry Christmas!"
On Gab, a white supremacist user posted a racist meme on December 18 of a Christmas ornament accompanied by the text: "BLACK PEOPLE ARE LIKE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS, YOU CAN NEVER HANG TOO MANY."
[1] See MEMRI DTTM Reports, Christmas As A Global Recruitment Tool For Neo Nazis, White Supremacists, And Antigovernment Extremists Online; Holiday Used To Incite Violence Against Jews And Spread Antisemitic Propaganda Including Holocaust Denial, December 23, 2021; Neo-Nazis And White Supremacists Mark Christmas By Freely Posting On Telegram, VK, And Parler: Promoting Violence, 'Dreaming Of A White Christmas,' And Wishing Jews 'Happy Holocaust', December 23, 2020.
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