The mayor of the municipality of Saint-Gilles in Brussels says he wants to make Saint Nicholas, the Christian saint, more "Moroccan" to connect with local residents.

Jean Spinette, the mayor of Saint-Gilles, Belgium, said he would be open to Saint Nicholas embracing Moroccan culture at the annual event on 6 December, in which a man dressed as the saint visits schools in the area, The European Conservative points out.

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 said.

As he said, it would be nice if there was a „Sidi Nicolas” who would give clementines, a type of mandarin, to the children. The town of Berkane in Morocco is known for growing clementines, and the word „Sidi” means „sir” in Arabic.

Spinette also added that

„for us, Saint Nicholas must be environmentally friendly, respectful of religions and intersectional.”

While the Belgian mayor is trying to make Saint Nicholas more Muslim and North African, even though the saint was Christian and Greek, an Austrian school this year banned Saint Nicholas from paying a visit altogether.

As reported by V4NA, out of respect for diversity and cultural differences, Santa Claus will not be visiting the Kindergarten in the Austrian village of Plainfeld this year.

The German newspaper Junge Freiheit reports that a kindergarten in Plainfeld, Salzburg, told the organizers in charge of the 6 December event that they would not be visiting the kindergarten due to issues of diversity and „cultural differences”.

According to a report by Salzburger Nachrichten, the authorities decided to keep him away from children this year, as St Nicholas traditionally wears a mitre, a bishop’s hat with a prominent Christian symbol on it.

Even St Nicholas’s helper has previously fallen victim to political correctness, because in the Netherlands, the figure of „Black Peter”, who has served as the traditional assistant for years, was considered racist. Some people were suddenly aghast by the fact that white-skinned people paint their faces black for playing the role of Zwarte Piet – thus performing ‘blackface’ – which many consider offensive. And if that wasn’t enough, the Black Peter costume also requires wearing red lipstick, large earrings and an Afro-style wig.

Wat een mooi plaatje! Zwarte piet de grootste kindervriend van Nederland. Wat is daar nou mis mee? pic.twitter.com/TSBAKWKtZ8

— Kees (@Kees71234) November 17, 2023