‘WOKER THAN WOKE:’ Black female Santa Claus slammed by Belgian critics

Published Dec 07, 2023 • 2 minute read

Queen Nikkolah, a character intended as an alternative to Santa Claus in Belgium. Photo by Queen Nikkolah /Instagram

A city in Belgium has crushed the woke dreams of many after it cancelled an event that was to feature a Black, female Santa Claus.

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Queen Nikkolah was intended to be an African alternative to Sinterklaas, the Belgian Santa Claus, and the plan was for the character to set up at Ghent’s city hall and hand out presents to children.

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Queen Nikkolah was created by artist Laura Nsengiyumva, who called for Belgium to be liberated from “colonial ideology” and planned for the Santa substitute to be wearing the colours of the Palestinian flag to raise awareness of the conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, the Daily Mail reported.

The mayor of Ghent felt the heat from local politicians and cancelled the event which more than 300 children were planning to attend.

“There is nothing wrong with Sinterklaas, as we know him,” Mathias de Clercq said, according to the publication.

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“We shouldn’t try to turn him into something else.’

The character of Queen Nikkolah, created in 2017, is described as a “mythological winter creature” and a “radical presence” on social media, was created to provide children with a new tradition of Christmas tales about Sinterklaas.

“People see Queen Nikkolah as a threat,” Nsengiyumva said. “But if I didn’t like this tradition, I wouldn’t have picked it up.”

She continued: “It’s also a desire to be part of it.”

She explained: “It came from a need from the community, not only people of colour, but I think also white allies who needed an alternative to deconstruct the colonial myth around Sinterklaas.”