Undeterred by bitter anti-woke opposition, Sinterklaas’ black female counterpart Queen Nikkolah continues to visit Belgian children, making a pitstop in Anderlecht this Saturday.
Despite heated backlash from right-wing politicians in Ghent over an event that would have promoted gender-neutral gifts and inclusive takes on traditional Christmas stories, Queen Nikkolah will continue to make appearances around Flanders throughout the festive season.
To mark 6 December, when children traditionally wake up to find the gifts Sinterklaas has left them overnight, performances will go ahead at Hall 5 in Leuven and at café Het Groot Ongelijk in Kessel-Lo. Celebrations will come to Anderlecht this Saturday, where children will be able to meet Queen Nikkolah to learn about Sinterklaas in an environment that promotes inclusivity and diversity.
Last week, Ghent city council cancelled an event with Queen Nikkolah following accusations of attempts to destroy Western traditions. A statement from the Flemish separatist N-VA party dubbed the modern representation of Sinterklaas as "woker than woke".
"There is nothing wrong with Sinterklaas as we know him," Ghent mayor Mathias De Clercq (Open VLD) told Belga News Agency. "We shouldn't try to turn him into something else."
Death threats
Queen Nikkolah has since become the target of ferocious online attack, with both creator Laura Nsengiyumva and Ghent deputy mayor Hafsa El-Bazioui (Flemish Greens) on the receiving end of death threats since the original event’s cancellation.
Critics of attempts to diversify Christmas traditions believe the initiative equates to an erasure of European identity. "Left-wing wokers abuse a children's party to push their subversive agenda," a post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) stated. "This is simply an attack on a white tradition and we should not accept it," another user tweeted.
El-Bazoui expressed shock at the virulent tone of online messaging. "People think that I am here with a certain secret agenda, which is not true at all," she told Belga News Agency.
"I really regret how some things turned out last week. But we're trying to turn the page. Especially with a lot of positivity, to give the children a fun day."
Je hoeft het niet eens te zijn.
Je moet niet naar een vrijwillig kinderfeestje (is óók al volzet). Vragen stellen mag. STOP GEWOON MET DREIGEN, SCHELDEN EN SCHRIJFFOUTEN. Dank u. — Hafsa El-Bazioui 🌿 (@Hafsa_Hopsasa) December 2, 2023
Ghent councillor Hafsa El-Bazioui responds to online hate. Translation: 'You don't have to agree. You don't have to go to a voluntary children's party (which is full). You are allowed to ask questions. JUST STOP THREATENING, SCREAMING AND SPREADING ERRORS. Thank you.'
Queen Nikkolah is due to visit Ghent again in the coming weeks, with no date or location disclosed owing to safety concerns.
Decolonise Belgium
A self-professed ‘artivist’, Nsengiyumva’s work aims to deconstruct colonial beliefs in Belgium. She sees the fierce reaction to a black, female Sinterklaas as "symbolic" of a deep-seated reluctance to include black people in European society.
'Zwarte Pieten', or 'Black Petes', constitute a particularly controversial element of Christmas festivities in Belgium. Sinterklaas’ helpers used to represent the devil, before going on to depict black people. The costume involves donning blackface and its ongoing prevalence is indicative of Belgium’s difficulties in grappling with its colonial past. Like many others, Nsengiyumya believes the Zwarte Pieten are an outdated and inappropriate element of Belgian tradition.
"Positive change requires effort from all of us," El-Bazioui told The Brussels Times. "Ghent has a long-term commitment to decolonising our city. We will carry on this effort because it is important to become an ever more inclusive society."
