Belgian organisation launches Saint Nicolas' Day campaign to end controversy

A cultural organisation launched a campaign here on Friday in a bid to end the long-standing controversy over racial undertones in regards to the Saint Nicolas' Day, a festival that falls on Dec. 6 in west Europe.

DeBuren, a Brussels-based organisation dedicated to promoting the Dutch culture, proposed the "Peitenpact" initiative calling on locals to celebrate the centuries-old festival while keeping an open mind to the traditional character "Zwarte Piet," or "Black Pete," which has long been criticised for its racial implication.

"Saint Nicolas' Day is for everyone, especially for all children. We therefore advocate a Saint Nicolas' Day which respect all traditions but put inclusiveness at the centre," it said in a statement.

The Saint Nicolas' Day, widely celebrated in European countries, sees the character of Saint Nicolas, a bearded bishop in a canonical robe, handing out gifts to children.

In the Dutch-speaking regions in Europe, namely the Flemish part of Belgium and the Netherlands, Saint Nicolas is traditionally accompanied by his sidekick "Black Pete," a soot sweeper dressed in clown costume, with black face paint and a fuzzy black wig.

Opponents argue that the appearance and the function of "Black Pete" are offensive to people of African origin, while supporters insist that it's all just harmless humour and the tradition should not be modified.

The organisation believes that it is necessary to make "small changes" to ease the nerves around stigma and racism.

It calls on citizens, enterprises and educational institutions to keep the role of Pete but eliminate all the racial references in their festival activities and commercial campaigns.

Saint Nicolas can choose whether he needs a helper and what kind of helpers he needs, the organisation suggests.

"Soot sweeping Pete, rainbow Pete, Pete without face paint... It will amuse everyone, young and old," it said in the statement.

A number of schools, communities and business owners in the region have already voiced support for the initiative, which has been made available online for the public to sign.

"The heated debates that started in recent years seem endless. We encourage lively debates, but at a certain point we have to come to a compromise," the organisation said. Endit