What the F*ck is Zwarte Piet?
Zwarte Piet, directly translated from Dutch means “Black Pete”. Although his exact function and portrayal is highly and tensely debated, he accompanies Sinterklass (Dutch Santa, sort of. Their Santa is actually called Kertsman, or Christmas-man) during a Christmas-like tradition in the Netherlands and gives out gifts to kids. So why all the tension? Well, Black Pete is, how do we put this?…Black (at least visually). Every year, in early December, Sinterklass is rumored to roll in from Spain on a steamship (watch out P. Diddy) with his sidekick Black Pete, a white guy done up in black face paint, bright red lipstick, wearing gold bling and minstrel helper clothing.
One reason celebrators give for Black Pete’s existence is that Sinter is too old to deliver gifts so he got a side kick, Black Pete, to do it for him. Pete tends to go through the chimney to deliver these gifts, gets covered in soot and that’s why he’s black. Strange that American Santa does the same thing but still pops out white as hell.
At the other end of the spectrum, Black Pete is black because he is a Moorish slave, not just an innocent, dirty-faced helper. This perspective comes from the imposition of cross-cultural values on something that superficially resembles a similar form of discrimination. This end of the debate is most intensely argued by Americans. For Americans, Black Pete hits a nerve that brings back the days of Black Face Minstrels where white actors would perform the black character roles in black face paint, exaggerated pink lips and raggedy clothing. The actors would further proliferate racist stereotypes by portraying the black characters as dumb, funny slaves or ex-slaves. This went on for 100 years in America! Zwarte Piet is a reminder of days white Americans would rather forget. Although many celebrators cherish Pete as a traditional character of the holidays, Americans are appalled by the seemingly blatant racism that Pete represents.
Some proposed solutions to the problem:
- Felix De Rooy of NRC Handelsblad suggested replacing Black Pete with a smurf-like character (yeah Felix, get all the blue people fired up).
- Get rid of Zwarte Piet altogether and let Sinterkalss lug the presents around all by himself. This creates another issue as the Dutch feel getting rid of Zwarte Piet puts Sinterklass on the chopping block for elimination.
- What about replacing Sinterklass with Santa and Zwarte Piet with elves? Sounds great right? If everyone could just celebrate Christmas the way Americans do the world would be a better place. Oh wait, aren’t elves midgets? Why hasn’t the little people community had a shit fit about this yet?
So is Pete a children’s tale or a racist figure? We promise no definitive answer exists. We’re not saying this tradition is not objectifying black people in a racist way and it is understandable that Americans have the strongest feelings on the topic because Zwarte Piet is visually too close to what our racist roots look like. But Americans must also realize that our own history drives us to apply what we know about our own racist past on traditions that may not have anything in common but black face paint. Although it may be racist in some way, we cannot just superimpose our own racist history atop another country’s tradition and say it’s the same. Either way, we hope a happy medium exists that doesn’t involve smurfs, midgets or complete Americanization of world traditions.
Written By: Anna Starostinetskaya
Head Writer/Editor-in-Chief of Off Track Planet. Pescatarians are not just cheating vegetarians; we're our own breed and the extra protein makes us more feisty! Rawr
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As a dutch-american, I have a TON of fun explaining this one. One year we had Petes that were all different colors, red, green, blue, purple, trying to keep everyone happy.
There is always a controversial aspect to every fairy tale man. Why does it have to be ruined with so called political correctness. I maintain puff the magic dragon was only about a dragon – no underlying meaning.
Just because the Dutch “love” this character does not mean that it isn’t wrong. The people above me are probably quick to accept this as “just culture” because you are not black.
Admin, no this does not have to do with Americans wanting to impose our views on people. No, Americans are not the center of the universe but neither are the Dutch and neither are you. Who are you, or anyone, to dress up and mock another group of people? The fact of the matter is there are whites who paint their skin black, paint their lips red, wear afro wigs, and proceed to make asses out of themselves by mocking blacks. This is the same thing that happened in the US and it’s happening with the Dutch.
I found this page after googling to learn more about this disgusting ritual. I have a black friend who had a bad experience with this and it really hurt her to see her people mocked. She had hoped to enjoy a trip through Europe and instead had to be reminded of just how horrible people can be (when you’re black, you see, it appears that you have to deal with a lot of racism while trying to experience other cultures).
This is not about preserving fairy tales or about not being able to see past your own perspective; this is about preserving a racist stereotype.
The inability to see how this is obviously offensive to blacks shows that you are the ones stuck in your own perspective and are unwilling to see past it.
No need, here’s a local.
In the oldest references to Sinterklaas (Saint Nicolas, patron saint of children amongst other things) he is accompanied by a black devil, whom he conquered and shackled; Black Pete. Not a black slave, a devil. And even that lore probably dates back to pre-Christian times.
Furthermore, if anyone gets to complain about Zwarte Piet, it should be black Dutch citizens and I’ve never heard any of them express any particular dislike towards the tradition. Including my inlaws from Suriname.
In fact, just today I saw Sinterklaas arrive in our harbor on his boat, and there were families of every colour there, celebrating side by side.
Thus far I’ve only heard Americans complain about it actually and I think that the people who do, should do themselves a favor and pick up a book before they express their opinion for once, rather than affirm the bigoted stereotype that Americans are dumb and ignorant about other cultures.
At least there’s some foreigner who know the difference between Sinterklaas and Christmas in the Netherlands, but still bitching about blackface, deal with it that its allowed in other countries, kids from black people become also many presents at this holiday, how is that racist? every one is equal.
Being Dutch myself I think it’s a great tradition. And how on earth can it be racism? Because all they do is make children love black people, they will accept them later in life and may even be pre-judged that black people are great people who make them happy with candy and gifts. Do you really think a 6 year old, thinks about slavery and black people…? Of course not, he thinks: hey that happy looking dude gives me candy! I like him! So if it’s racism at all it is a positive thing.
I’m a black Male if people where honest about the tradition it wouldn’t bother me as much. You say the color comes from soot @admin where does the nappy hair and big red lips come from. The only bigots I see are people who are not willing to evolve to time a realize when something is wrong and fix it Ive tried to understand it but it doesn’t make sense are black people considered devils or candy giving slaves or chimney dwelling white people whose hair gets nappy and grow big red lips. people keep saying there is no racist aspect when there obviously is one its funny how people talk cultural diffusion i have friends of all races and we come to understandings on things but this is a ridiculous tradition that reminds me of rednecks. Just because somethings been around for a long time doesn’t mean its right.
Benjamin, you make a great point. Our goal was to get a conversation going about this topic and we’re getting some great feedback that allows everyone to see different point of views.
Im from the Netherlands (Dutch kingdom).
The origen of the Piet is racist.
According to myths dating to the beginning of the 19th century, Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas) operated by himself or in the companionship of a devil. Having triumphed over evil, it was said that on Saint Nicholas Eve, the devil was shackled and made his slave. A devil as a helper of the Saint can also still be found in Austrian Saint Nicholas tradition in the character of Krampus.
Zwarte Piet originally was such an enslaved devil forced to assist his captor, but the character emerged in the 19th century within the Netherlands as a companion of Saint Nicholas resembling a Moor.
A Dutch racist named Jan Schenkman created the Piet in 1845 for his children book.
@admin
Next time do a better research !!!
I live on Dutch a colony and there is still big discussion about this. Its very disturbing .
There’s nothing invalid about our research, Tenken. Given the above commentary, it confirms that “for Americans, Black Pete hits a nerve that brings back the days of Black Face Minstrel”. We also wrote this article after spending months living in the Netherlands and speaking about it with a variety of locals. As travelers, our goal is to create material that inspires travel with an open mind. Talking about this subject explores culture shock and ego-centrisism, should we protest Zwart Piet all together before exploring it for ourselves? should we not try to consider another point of view? If it is racist, should we not discuss it?
I am a Canadian and I believe if it is a problem then it is a Dutch problem. Not America’s problem, they (American’s) really got to stop telling the rest of the world what is right and what is wrong. Fix your own problems first. I for one, regardless of the right history think that the positive spin placed on the tradition is wonderful and I agree that for children they only see the fun in it all.
Well first of all i live in the Netherlands and am from African descent who grew up with this Racist tradition, this ritual is done every year as a reminder to little kids that the white man is good because he is the one baring gifts and the black man is bad because of punishing approach,what we have to focus on is the psychological affect it has on kids, teaching them to fear and resent black people from small they get that indoctrinated, and they still wondering why people cant come together, from small i heard this story and grew up with it, and at the celebration period i never liked the idea at all, the island where am from better said the hood where am from those young boys cant come around with there face painted, black people who grew up in this culture do feel like there is something wrong with the picture, some do but at the same time they want to brush it off with some liberal jive, acting like nothing wrong, wanting to show white people i digg you with this racist nonsence,whenever the ship comes in with sint in holland if you look at the crowed you can count the black dots in between, and there’s much more black people around, so this show that black people dont dig this shit, otherwise they would embrace it even more than whites do,its just that black people dont want to complain, and afraid to be seen a bigget!!! Bottom line its racist and offensive
The true reality of this story is that Black Pete, who comes in on a ship from spain and who was seen as being a devil who had been conquered; is in actual fact, a portrayal of Pedro De Negro ( Peter The Niger or Nigger or Black)(for the record I am a Black Man from the UK, who does a lot of travelling). Black Pete, who was Colombus’ captain of the second ship of his fleet, was responsible for the survival of Colombus when he came across what is now known today as the Caribbean today gained the name West Indies because he was lost and thought he had come full circle around India. Pedro De Negro save teh lives of the flee when they came ashore, by simply possesing a spear made of four different metals. The tribesman of these lands whose ancestors possessed spears similar, as they had all decended or ascended from the continent of Africa, recognised the spear and fed the starving crew members of the fleet….to their untimate peril. However, when colombus whose uniform and preferred clothing were Red & White, would visit neighbouring shores, he was known to have slaves and companions of the African continent & Molatoes (Those of Mixed Heritage), from the many years at sea and the raping of the slaves; when he would reach these shores, it was customary to bestow gifts upon the Royal and Political Housesholds. He would then bestow gifts upon the masses as a way to gain his approval and to be welcomed on every journy that they would make to those shores. All of this is documented and can be found in the very logs kept by colombus. I do not recall the name of it, but I covered this topic in History, many years ago. A little research as to the name of the log and a litle understanding of spanish or english tranliterations will enable the seekers of truth to find and comfirm what I have said, with ease.
Always respect this garden called earth and everryone and everything which it blooms. RESPECT & LOVE.
I absolutely agree with Benjamin Tompkins when he said
“where does the nappy hair and big red lips come from. It doesn’t make sense are black people considered devils or candy giving slaves or chimney dwelling white people whose hair gets nappy and grow big red lips.”
I have been researching the origin of “Black Pete” and I understand that it is a “tradition” but it is based on racism.
I think that they could make it less racist by simply changing the color and name of Pete. How about making all of the characters white? The smurf idea sounds good too
We have an old story (I’m Flemish btw) in which Saint Nicholas had Saint Nicodemus as a helper. To make sure no-one would recognise him, Nico painted his face completely black. Of course, like mentioned before, that doesn’t explain the wig and lips and everything, that’s true. I do think that all of us understand that in truth Pete is a representation of a black person in a way that was, erm, ‘popular’ (?) back in the days and that all these changes can’t just happen by jumping through a chimney. Then again the story of the chimney is there to tell the children, to keep things mystified a bit. If we tell others that Pete is black because of his job, it’s only because that is what we tell the children, it doesn’t mean however that we aren’t aware of other things going on. In 1992 there were still schools teaching the kids that Zwarte Piet was black because he simply was a black person and they’d be happy with that too. But that’s not the discussion is it?
The problem here is of a whole different level: adults seeing signs because of their own history, of what they have seen, learned, experienced. If someone that has been celebrating Sinterklaas many years and has loved the tradition so very much is being told that the tradition is actually wrong, that an aspect of it is racist and thus by connotation just plain evil and should be altered or completely abolished, the person will probably not welcome that vision with open arms. And of course if a person just LOVES something, he or she will have lots of trouble to understand WHY someone else wouldn’t. Then you can link to origins and other obvious things all you want to try and prove a point, the other person will only feel personally offended (and of course that goes both ways).
Changing the colour of the Pieten won’t make things better. Then some ask: what’s wrong with black? Isn’t black good enough for you? The Smurf idea could possibly result in law suits in all sorts of ways (or at least a lot of angry people in at least 2 European countries, possibly a 3rd should the BBC hear about it). In short: there isn’t a quick solution that would make everybody happy.
I really hope we won’t be somehow forced into throwing Sinterklaas out and going for Santa instead. I mean, we’ve got 3 days (where I live, somewhere in Flanders in Belgium) for presents now in December (6th of December: Sinterklaas for the kids, 24-25th of December: presents for, from and with the family on Christmas Eve, small presents for those you didn’t see on Christmas Eve on Newyears Eve). Throwing Sinterklaas and Christmas together would feel a bit… narrow to me? Anyway, ignore that last part, it was pretty much besides the point.
I’m from Quebec, living in the US and can tell you that in the US, the topic of race – especially black and white relations – has become so tinged with politics and political agendas that it is impossible to have a sane conversation about black and white depictions. Everything is racist towards blacks and every word has hidden meaning that discriminates against blacks. Case in point: there is neverending grievances levied against the bad white men who made Africans slaves but never about the bad African who hunted fellow Africans and traded their fellow Africans to the bad white men for money and to make their fellow Africans their own slaves.
Would making St Nick black and Pete white solve the problem??
If the white man had never asked for slaves in the first place and manipulated blacks into even more disunity, then we probably wouldn’t have this conversation now. White are haters and think their way is superior, and read your history books if you don’t believe it. It doesn’t matter which one either. I know that guilt be bothering whites, that whys they so quick to say “Now wait a minute!, It isn’t my fault!” I say your right, because it was your ancestors. Yet you live peaceful now because of what they did in the past. Enough said.