Sinterklaas festivities’ future uncertain in Groningen

It is not yet clear whether the arrival of Sinterklaas in Groningen in November of this year will go ahead. The Groningen Safety Region (Veiligheidregio Groningen) wants to wait and see what the national recommendations are, regarding the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.

Various Sinterklaas festivities have already been canceled throughout the Netherlands. In many cases, the organising committees fear that Coronavirus measures may not be properly enforced at their event. As reported by the GIC.

Groningen doesn’t want to be the city that leads to a flood of cancellations, and the 25 Safety Regions have asked the Medical Assistance Organization in the Region (GHOR) to issue advice on the events. That advice is expected to come next week and then it will be discussed in the various security regions, before a decision is made.

According to a spokesperson for the Groningen Safety Region, it may also be that Volksvermaken organising committee pulls the plug itself. “Then we don’t have to issue a permit,” said the spokesperson.

Whether it takes place or not, Groningen is one of the cities to have consigned blacked-up white people playing the ‘Zwarte Piet’ caricature to the dustbin of history. 

Image via Wikimedia user Wouter Engler. License here.