In 2012 in Amsterdam, most opposition toward the character was found among the Ghanaian, Antillean and Dutch-Surinamese communities, with 50 per cent of the Surinamese considering the figure to be discriminatory to others, whereas 27 per cent consider the figure to be discriminatory toward themselves. Sinterklaas is assisted by Zwarte Piet ("Black Pete"), a helper dressed in Moorish attire and in blackface.Zwarte Piet first appeared in print as the nameless servant of Saint Nicholas in Sint-Nikolaas en zijn knecht ("St. Nicholas and His Servant"), published in 1850 by Amsterdam schoolteacher Jan Schenkman; however, the tradition appears to date back at least as far as the early 19th century. For 3-year-old Cyriel Tombeur, Black Pete is a bearer of gifts and sweets. The gift bringer is known as Saint Nicholas. Generally, adherents of these groups consider Zwarte Piet to be part of the Dutch colonial heritage, in which black people were subservient to whites or are opposed to what they consider stereotypical black ("Black Sambo") features of the figure including the red lips, curly hair and large golden earrings. Rather than the devil that had been made a servant of St. Nicholas, Black Peter was now thought to be a slave who had become the willing servant of St. Nicholas. Straight outta Asia “Saint Nicholas, on whom the character Santa Claus is based, was of Northern European descent,” claimed … The holiday is celebrated in Antilles and Suriname where Sinterklaas is often played by a white-painted actor who is accompanied by several others dressed as Zwarte Piet. [30] Elsewhere, one in three Dutch primary schools announced plans to alter the character's appearance in their celebrations. The practice of more than one Black Peter stuck and has continued since then. Saw Santa and Pete on tv and loved it. [2] Those portraying Zwarte Piet usually put on blackface and colourful Renaissance attire in addition to curly wigs and bright red lipstick. [16] According to a long-standing theory first proposed by Karl Meisen,[17] Zwarte Piet and his equivalents in Germanic Europe were originally presented as one or more enslaved demons forced to assist their captor. Santa Claus don't need no elves ... not in the Netherlands, where they believe his helper is a guy named "Black Pete," and people dress up like him by wearing black face. [36], In November 2017, a group of anti-Piet demonstrators were prevented from attending a demonstration during a nationally-televised celebration in the town of Dokkum after their vehicles were blocked on the A7 motorway by pro-Piet demonstrators, 34 of whom were later charged and found guilty of obstructing traffic. [35] The introduction of Zwarte Piet did coincide, by and large, with a change in the depiction of the Sinterklaas character. Father of 7, Grandfather of 7, husband of 1. [12] These helpers would listen, just like Zwarte Piet, at the chimneys of the homes they visited to tell Odin about the good and bad behavior of the mortals below. Series creator Greg Daniels released a statement saying that "blackface is unacceptable and making the point so graphically is hurtful and wrong. Smeared on makeup simulates soot smudges and an actor portraying the character retains their own natural skin tone. Tall and gaunt with a dark beard and hair, Black Peter was associated with the punitive side of Christmas. [62][63] Others continued to make the case that Zwarte Piet is racist due to extreme undertones, among them that Zwarte Piet is a subservient slave and that the tradition enforces racial stereotypes. However, up until 1920, several additional publications gave the character other names and depictions that varied considerably. The most frequently mentioned reason of those who were in favour of a changing was to put an end to the discussion. Among them are the singers Leon Krijgsman and Herman van Doorn who released songs promoted with music videos featuring Piets in blackface. Beginning with the second edition in 1858, the page is illustrated in a much more colorful page costume. Directed by Duwayne Dunham. You must log in or register to reply here. This version features the page outfit but without the curly wig, earrings, or lipstick. [33], In 2016, an unspecified company in the Netherlands that organized its own annual Sinterklaas celebration replaced a person of color who enjoyed playing Zwarte Piet with the "sooty" version because she looked too much like dark-skinned Zwarte Piet. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Several Dutch entertainers have also continued to use the traditional version of the character. [64][65][66][67], The George Floyd protests and subsequent Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the Netherlands in 2020 appear to have had a significant effect on the acceptance of Zwarte Piet's traditional (blackface) appearance among the Dutch public. Zwarte Piet is Zwarte (black) Klaas The Sint en Pieten Gilde clearly shows that Black Peter was not invented by Schenkman Nowadays it is often assumed that Black Pete is more or less a creation of the schoolmaster Jan Schenkman who wrote a book in 1850: St. Nicholas and his servant. [28] Some have included both. Some even went as far as to threaten to attack people dressed up as Petes. The characters act as foils to the benevolent gift-giver, or strict disciplinarians who threaten to thrash or abduct disobedient children. Many of the illustrations took on racist symbolism, often showing Black Peter in shackles and tattered garments. Zwarte Piet is the companion of Saint Nicholas (Dutch: Sinterklaas, West Frisian: Sinteklaas, Luxembourgish: Kleeschen, Indonesian: Sinterklas) in the folklore of the Low Countries. In the weeks before the feast, Santa and Black Peter arrive by boat, supposedly from Spain, and are greeted by ever increasing crowds of excited children and adults. Named Black Peter, this companion was the physical opposite of St. Nicholas. On top of that, aside from a few pleasantries, Santa doesn’t speak Spanish. [52] The predominance of the Dutch black community among those who oppose the Zwarte Piet character is also visible among the main anti-Zwarte Piet movements, Zwarte Piet Niet and Zwarte Piet is Racisme which have established themselves since the 2010s. Zwarte Piet. [38], In 2019, it was decided that the nationally-televised arrival of Sinterklaas hosted by Apeldoorn would feature only "sooty" versions. You are using an out of date browser. ... Black Pete … ", "Onderzoek RTL Nieuws: Zwarte Piet moet zwart blijven". [44], Owing to the character's depiction, which often involves actors and volunteers dressing up in blackface while wearing black wigs and large earrings, the traditions surrounding Zwarte Piet became increasingly controversial beginning in the late 20th century. The duo found their way to New York and began the long-standing tradition of giving gifts to the needy. Dutch Santa Claus and helper Black Pete mired in racism debate By freelance contributor Stefan J. Bos in Amsterdam. Freelance writer, Major League baseball geek, aspiring Family Historian. These decisions have resulted in protests and violent incidents involving pro-Piet demonstrators (those who endorse the traditional version of the character) and anti-Piet demonstrators (those who endorse a revised version of the character or doing away with him altogether). [51], Opposition to the figure has been strongest in the most urbanized provinces of North and South Holland, where between nine and seven per cent of the populace wants to change the appearance of Zwarte Piet. Merry racism, everyone! 9. It didn’t seem to make sense to have more than one St. Nicholas. It's widely considered the first time a servant character was included in a printed version of the Saint Nicholas narrative. [45] The public debate surrounding the figure can be described as polarized, with some protesters considering the figure to be an insult to their ancestry and supporters considering the character to be an inseparable part of their cultural heritage. Traditionally, Zwarte Piet is black because he is a Moor from Spain. Santa Claus may be known for bringing White Christmases in the U.S., but in Europe, his companion Black Peter adds a twist to the tale. He was often represented holding a large stick for this purpose. These songs and stories also warn that a child who has been only slightly naughty will receive a bundle of birch twigs or a lump of coal instead of gifts. The controversy over Black Pete, Santa Claus's helper long portrayed in blackface, seems to be as much a tradition in the Netherlands as the holidays … These chained and fire-scorched demons may have been redeveloped as black-skinned humans during the early 19th-century in the Netherlands in the likeness of Moors who work as servants for Saint Nicholas.[18]. Potgieter in 1850. However, over the course of the 20th century, narratives started to surface that claimed Zwarte Piet was a former slave who had been freed by the saint and had subsequently become his lifelong companion. He was known by a variety of names: Klaubauf, Krampus, Grampus, Bartel. But the most different thing about him is his help. While the Dutch St. Nicholas has always been represented in much the same way, similar to the original saint in long robes with a staff, tall mitre hat, and white beard, Black Peter has been depicted in many different ways. [42] In August 2020, Facebook updated its policies to ban depictions of blackface on its Facebook and Instagram platforms, including traditional blackface depictions of Zwarte Piet. On this occasion, a man portraying Saint Nicholas had been accompanied by another described as "Pieter me Knecht ..., a frizzy haired Negro" who brought a large basket filled with presents. People line the road to greet Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of Santa Claus, and his "Swarte Piet" (Black Pete) sidekicks in Amsterdam on Nov. 17, 2013. So on one of the tanks rode St. Nicholas and one Black Peter, while multiple Black Peters rode on the other tanks. A June 2020 survey saw a drop in support for leaving the character's appearance unaltered. The companions of Saint Nicholas are a group of closely related figures who accompany Saint Nicholas throughout the territories formerly in the Holy Roman Empire or the countries that it influenced culturally. In the Netherlands, the tradition is slightly different. In 1833, an Amsterdam-based magazine printed a humorous reference to "Pietermanknecht" while describing the fate that those who had sneaked out of their houses to attend that year's St. Nicholas celebrations were supposed to have endured after returning home. The Dutch Santa Claus travels by steamboat instead of sleigh and from Spain, not the North Pole. Mythologist Jacob Grimm associated the character with the pre-Christian spirit kobold, who could be either benevolent or malicious. He knows enough to get by, but he’s not fluent, and he certainly doesn’t eat tapas. He is the servant of Sinterklaas, a local precursor to Santa Claus that Cyriel hopes will leave toy cars and Lego building sets by the fireplace on Dec. 6 at his home in Zwevegem, Belgium. Traditionally St. Nicholas would hand out presents to good children, while it fell to Black Peter to dole out coal (and sometimes knocks on the head) to children who misbehaved. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. [37] During intocht celebrations throughout November 2018, violent incidents took place in the cities and towns of Nijmegen, The Hague, Leeuwarden, Den Helder, Rotterdam, and elsewhere. The Dutch version of Santa Claus, Sinterklaas, and his sidekicks in blackface as “Black Pete,” arrive in 2013 by steamboat in Hoorn, northwestern Netherlands. [15][2] In medieval iconography, Saint Nicholas is sometimes presented as taming a chained demon, who may or may not be black. [53], In the early 2010s, a large majority of the overall populace in both the Netherlands and Belgium was in favor of retaining the traditional Zwarte Piet character. JavaScript is disabled. Een kunsthistorisch antwoord op de vraag naar de herkomst". "[50] In 2019, media personality Kim Kardashian described Zwarte Piet as "disturbing" in a tweet to her over 62 million followers on Twitter. [26], The most popular explanation that came to prominence in the later decades of the 20th century, Zwarte Piet's blackness is due to a permanent layer of soot on his body acquired during his many trips down the chimneys of the homes he visits. I am sorry for the pain that caused. Peter’s job was to remove the hay and carrots from the shoes that had been left by children underneath their chimneys, and to drop candy and gifts in their place. [27], Throughout the latter half of the 2010s, communities and various organizations across the Netherlands and elsewhere opted to use either the traditional version of Zwarte Piet in celebrations or variations, most commonly the "sooty" version. And so, despite continued controversy, Black Peter remains a prominent figure in the holiday rituals of the Netherlands. The tasks of the various Zwarte Piets (Zwarte Pieten in Dutch) are mostly to amuse children and to distribute kruidnoten, pepernoten, and other strooigoed (special Sinterklaas-themed sweets) to those who come to meet the saint as he visits schools, stores, and other places. They might even take very poorly behaved children to their homeland of Spain in burlap sacks where, according to legend, they'll be forced to assist them in their workshop for an entire season or longer. 2015 enquiry shows children perceive Zwarte Piet as a clown rather than black. [1] However, since the late twentieth century the common explanation of Zwarte Piet's blackness has been that it is due to the soot on his body acquired during his many trips down the chimneys of the homes he visits. The large bag that he held was rumored to be used for stuffing children in for the trip back to Spain. The book remained in print until 1950 and has had considerable influence on the current celebration. The Reformation attempted to erase the image of St. Nicholas, without success. The tanks, with Canadian soldiers at the helm and Black Peter sitting on the back, traversed the countryside, handing out candy and gifts to children who waited by the roadside. [3][4][5][6][7][8] In recent years, the character has become the subject of controversy. The character gained popularity in the twentieth century and St. Nicholas’s and Black Peter’s annual arrival in Holland became more elaborate. He tells how St. Nicholas was imprisoned as a spy during the Inquisition, but was eventually rescued by Pete, a former slave in Spain under the Moors. The origin of Zwarte Piet and his costume is uncertain. A similar protest in Tilburg led to the arrest of 44 pro-Piet demonstrators. In the 1850 version of Schenkman's book, the servant is depicted in simple white clothing with red hems. Two Black ravens, Huginn and Muninn way to New York and began the long-standing tradition of giving gifts kids... Enquiry shows children perceive Zwarte Piet character 1920, several additional publications gave the character 's appearance nine. And great crowds gather at the waterfront to greet him, while multiple Peters... Advertising featuring Zwarte Piet characters appearance to santa claus and black pete or abduct disobedient children and gaunt with a beard. Appears as a clown rather than Black site uses cookies to help content! 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