The mayor of the Saint-Gilles neighbourhood in Brussels has said he would like to make Saint Nicholas, the Christian saint associated with Christmas, more Moroccan in order to connect with the residents of his area.
Saint-Gilles Mayor Jean Spinette stated that he would be open for Saint Nicholas to embrace Moroccan culture during the annual December 6th event in which a man dressed as the saint visits local schools in the area, Sudinfo reports.
Spinette stated that his government has relations with the Moroccan city of Berkane and that many of the residents of his area originate from the region. “It’s a way to find a connection with the Muslim community in the town,” he said. “You should know that many people living in Saint-Gilles are from this region of Morocco.”
“And I would find it comical to have a Sidi Nicolas who provides clementines to the children,” he said. Berkane is known for producing clementines and the word “Sidi” is a term of respect in Arabic that can mean “my lord”
“For us, St. Nicholas must be environmentally friendly, respectful of religions and intersectional,” Mayor Spinette said.
While the Belgian mayor attempts to make Saint Nicholas more Muslim and North African, although Saint Nicholas was Christian and Greek, an Austrian school has banned visits from Saint Nicholas entirely this year.
The German newspaper Junge Freiheit reports that a kindergarten in the Salzburg municipality of Plainfeld has told organisers behind the visits of Saint Nicholas on December 6th not to visit their kindergarten due to issues of diversity and “cultural differences.”
According to the newspaper, the request is the first time in decades that a man dressed as the Christian saint has been barred from visiting a school.
Wolfgang Ganzenhuber, a member of the centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) and the mayor of the municipality, said that he spoke to parents who were outraged and angered by the kindergarten’s decision.
He stated that he was also surprised by the kindergarten’s announcement and had never had any complaints about Saint Nicholas visiting schools in his 14 years as mayor. He said that local schools were allowing their children to vote on whether Saint Nicholas should come to their school as a compromise.
In many parts of Europe, Saint Nicholas is depicted in an overtly Christian manner, with those playing him often wearing a bishop’s mitre and carrying a crozier or a cross, unlike his American counterpart Santa Claus, or Father Christmas in the UK, who are less overtly associated with Christianity.
Various regions of Europe also have different traditions regarding Saint Nicholas, some of which have drawn sharp criticism, such as the Dutch tradition of Saint Nicholas being accompanied by Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete, as those portraying the character usually darken their skin, resulting in accusations of racism by left-wing activists.
In parts of Austria and the German region of Bavaria, meanwhile, Saint Nicholas is often accompanied by a demonic-looking being named Krampus who assists Saint Nicholas by hitting naughty children with birch rods while Saint Nicholas hands out presents to good children.
Krampus-related violence has also been criticised, with several people being arrested in Salzburg last year, while a 14-year-old girl dressed as the character was injured after a 22-year-old attempted to rip her mask off.
Violence is not unfamiliar to the historic Saint Nicholas, however, who has become most well-known for punching the heretic Arius in the face at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD over the Arian heresy, although some dispute the attack actually took place.
