Today's personification of St. Nicholas cannot even visit an Austrian kindergarten because of "diversity and cultural differences".
Jean Spinette, the mayor of Saint-Gilles, Belgium, said he would be open to Saint Nicholas embracing Moroccan culture at the annual event on December 6, in which a man dressed as the saint visits schools in the area, V4NA news agency reported.
Spinette stated that his municipality has ties to the Moroccan city of Berkane and that many of the residents of his district are from the region.
It's a way to connect with the city's Muslim community, he pointed out.
As he said, he would think it would be nice if there was a Sidi Nicolas who would give clementines, a kind of tangerine, to the children. The city of Berkane in Morocco is known for the cultivation of clementines, and the word Sidi means lord in Arabic. Spinette also added that for them, Saint Nicholas should be environmentally friendly, respectful of religions and intersectional.
As Belgium's mayor tries to make St. Nicholas more Muslim and North African — even though St. Nicholas was Christian and Greek — an Austrian educational institution this year banned Santa from visiting entirely in a bid to respect diversity and cultural differences.
This year, the authorities of a kindergarten in Plainfeld in Salzburg decided to keep him away from the children, because Santa Claus traditionally wears a headgear with a clearly visible Christian symbol.
Cover image: Pixabay
