Santa Claus Is Coming To Town–But He Might Not Be Able To Bring ‘Black Pete’ With Him

Not many American children may be familiar with the character ‘Black Pete.’ In the Netherlands however, Black Pete is a household name.

Kids the world over are familiar with the lyrics of the song, “Santa Claus is coming to town.” For some, Santa Claus visits on December 25 of every year. In the Netherlands, it is tradition for Saint Nick (known to the Dutch as Sinterklaas) to visit on December 6. When Santa visits, he brings with him a sack bearing gifts, but not every child will receive. Santa’s instructions are clear: in order to be rewarded, it is a requirement that you be good throughout the year.

In America, Santa Claus is accompanied by elves — little, not-quite human creatures of magic with pointy ears that work year-long building toys in the factory. In the Netherlands, Santa’s helpers bear a vastly different appearance. Rather than looking like the distant relatives of fairies, they appear similar to clowns, they are dressed in colorful attire, adorned with red lipstick, and wearing big curly ‘fro wigs.

Oh, and they’re black. Well, painted black, that is. This is where the controversy arises.

The name of this controversial character is ‘Black Pete’ (Zwarte Piet to the Dutch). According to The African American Registry, ‘Black Pete’ or ‘Black Peter,’ has been a part of Dutch folklore since 500 CE. The Black Petes (as there as usually several) are white men painted in blackface that accompany Saint Nicholas on his visits to children. There are many explanations about why Black Pete is black, including the popular reason that he was covered in soot from coming down the chimney.

According to legend, Zwarte Piet is a Moorish servant or slave who accompanies Saint Nicholas on his holiday travels. He is commonly depicted in the colorful pantaloons, feathered cap, and ruffles of a medieval European palace attendant, and is sometimes associated with Satan. Often portrayed as a mean and mischievous character, parents tell their children that if they have been good, Zwarte Piet will bring gifts and sweets for Christmas, but if they have been bad, Piet will scoop them up, stuff them in his huge sack, and spirit them away to Spain.

Since 500 CE, the tradition of Black Pete has been celebrated in a somewhat racially diverse society. Controversy surrounding the Black Pete tradition has only arisen in the past few decades, according to The New Yorker. So why is Black Pete suddenly causing so much outrage among some sections of the Dutch Population? The New Yorker reports that this recent wave of anti-Black Pete protests has stemmed from a bid to include the Sinterklaas festival on UNESCO’s world list of intangible heritage.

The controversy surrounding Black Pete revolves around the issue of race, and the harmful effects of stereotyping. In an article published by The Guardian about the role Black Pete plays in the Netherlands, the writer points out that stereotypes, even when they appear to be positive, are actually just as de-humanizing as negative stereotypes, as they strip persons of an identity.

If I, as a person of colour, had to be taught that positive stereotypes are just as dehumanising as negative ones, and therefore racist, it is not surprising that a vast majority of Dutch people truly believe that there is nothing racist about Black Pete. He is loved by young and old, he’s funny, he’s giving, he’s athletic. Wouldn’t anyone want to be associated with these traits?

Recently in America, there have been several publicized cases of persons dressing in blackface to portray African American characters, as have been reported by the Inquisitr. The recent protests in Amsterdam against the Black Pete tradition has caused a rift that may not soon be mended until long-suppressed issues of race birthed from a history of slavery are addressed.

[Image via musedmagonline]