Sinterklaas arriving in A'dam
Today is Sinterklaas in Amsterdam. Apparently, in the Netherlands Saint Nicolaas comes on December 5th in a boat from Spain with his black "helpers" called Black Pete's (Zwarte Piet’s). He then gets on his white horse and travels from rooftop to rooftop and the Black Pete's come down the chimney and give you presents in your shoes. You set your shoes near the chimney with a carrot in them for the horse (nothing for the black Pete's) and go to bed waking up with the presents if you are good, twigs in the shoes if you are bad. Now, the most interesting thing about this whole tradition is that the Black Pete's are supposed to be black people, but in the Netherlands, they are actually white people painted black. Interesting Dutch tradition...
Sexy Zwarte Piet
The bad kids are threatened that if they aren’t good they will be sent back to Spain with Sinterklaas and the zwarte piet’s. Doesn’t sound like such a bad deal to me! Better weather, that’s for sure!
And tonight I went out with a Dutch friend to dinner and then we went to a local Dutch bar for a drink to look at his pictures from a recent trip to Japan and Korea on the computer. In true Dutch spirit, and in the uplifting spirit of Sinterklaas, when we got to up to pay the owner told us that we could not come back into the bar again with a computer because “it was not that type of place”. Gotta love ‘em!
Comments (29)
Happy SinterKlaas Dag, Dawn! I miss you.
Marieke will be putting her wooden shoes by the front door as we have no fireplace. Also, we have moved it to Friday night this year, so my parents can see her find the presents. She has really enjoyed the coverage of SinterKlaas's arrival online at http://player.omroep.nl/?aflID=5972095. AND she made pepernoten with Leslie and refused to share them with her preschool class. This holiday thing is much cuter with a small child.
Posted by Anneke | December 6, 2007 10:43 PM
Posted on December 6, 2007 22:43
hmmmm and no one thinks that's a little weird in a racial kinda way????
Posted by Anonymous | April 16, 2008 5:29 PM
Posted on April 16, 2008 17:29
Hello Dawn,
I was looking for a good picture of Sinterklaas when I found your blog. It's funny to see that you think black pete should be a black guy. But that's not it! Pete becomes black when he goes down the chimney to bring the presents! So it's not a racist thing that Sinterklaas only has black helpers, it's just that they are white but become black because of the dirt in the chimney:)
I hope you like are little country!
Daphne
Posted by Daphne | June 21, 2008 11:49 AM
Posted on June 21, 2008 11:49
lieve sint ik weet dat je naar nederland wel gaan sinterklaas ikwil zograag high school musical en kaart van cars lecol ikwil petshop en auto,s pistoolen en nepe ik wil en bal die kan praaten wij
gianni gorge
Posted by gorge gianni | October 5, 2008 12:07 PM
Posted on October 5, 2008 12:07
hallo sinterklaas warbent u ongefeer ik wecht op je naar ons te koomen mijn school is de hoeksteen ophelialaan 230-1431HS Aalsmeer mijn klas is kikerklas ik wil graag naar ons te koomen
Posted by Hanane Chorkat | November 6, 2008 11:09 AM
Posted on November 6, 2008 11:09
As response to Anonymous on April 16, 2008 5:29 PM
Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet are not racial. Zwarte Piet isn't black because that's the color of his skin. It's because he goes up and down the chimneys of people's homes. It's grease and dirt, so has nothing to do with slavery or anything like that. The exaggeratedly red mouth and earrings are not traditionally part of the look though it's pretty much always the case now.
Posted by Arjan | November 29, 2008 5:15 AM
Posted on November 29, 2008 05:15
Arjan, I hate to disappoint you, but in the legend, Saint Nikolaas' helpers were black because they were born black. This doesn't make the whole thing racist though, on the contrary; they helped the man save poor and hungry children.
Posted by Syl | November 29, 2008 7:51 AM
Posted on November 29, 2008 07:51
syl,
zwarte piet has never ever been a black born person!!!! like everybody else has posted before me zwarte piet is black because of the dirt in the chimney!! and i am wondering where you have read that legend becaus i can't find it anywhere. and i think that it's a little bit weird that you are saying that zwarte piet was originally black born well every dutchman clames that that isn't so!!!
en dag eeeeeeej!!
Posted by leoo | November 30, 2008 7:47 AM
Posted on November 30, 2008 07:47
To all the NLer's out there:
This is the reason I said that Black Pete's are black:
"Some sources indicate that in Germanic Europe, 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; Saint Nicholas is said to come from Spain.
According to the more modern Saint Nicholas legend, Zwarte Piet is a servant who accompanies Saint Nicholas on his holiday travels. In some versions, it is alleged that Saint Nicholas once liberated a young slave named Peter, who decided to serve Nicholas (as a free servant) rather than enjoy liberty alone. Zwarte Piet is today commonly depicted as a black man in the colorful pantaloons, feathered cap and ruffles of a Renaissance European page, a tradition based on a single illustration in a book published in 1850."
From Wikipedia.
Dawn
Posted by reddawnl | November 30, 2008 5:44 PM
Posted on November 30, 2008 17:44
En we weten allemaal dat Wikipedia 'toegankelijkheid' van het materiaal belangrijker vindt dan correctheid :)
Posted by Pierre de Moutarde | December 1, 2008 9:41 AM
Posted on December 1, 2008 09:41
Saint Nicholas was a Turkish Bishop stationed in Spain and had Moors as helpers/servants. He gave gifts to poor children on the eve of his birthday. Every year the number of children grew so he had to recruit new helpers. In the early days Holland was part of the Spanish Nethrlands and Dutch kids,when they are bad, were taken away in a sack and abducted to Spain, where they are to be trained as Pete's. They become more black than the Moors because they are chaesed up and down the chimnies and listen at the top of the chimney to hear what is going on within the houses. So they eavesdrop and report it to the Head Pete who write's it all in St. Nicholas' great book. The Sint then confronts the children with their findings and decides if they wil be taken away to Spain. So it is the Dutch kids who become the slaves; having to help the Moors who are the noble servants to St. Nicholas (who is only 500 years old). So now you know.
Posted by Pieterzoon | December 3, 2008 5:38 PM
Posted on December 3, 2008 17:38
Black pete is clearly a racist symbol of an ugly colonial past. Attempts to clean up the story of black pete haven't worked because it has history behind it - including songs and texts written about black pete dating back centuries. Black pete is often a slow, clumsy character that doesn't speak proper dutch.
If you listen to the old songs and stories about black pete you will see it is clearly a racist symbol and all civilised people should be apalled at this. It is something that must change.
Posted by anon | December 30, 2008 9:05 AM
Posted on December 30, 2008 09:05
heey sint hoe is het met mij niet ik zat tuse de deur bij mij gym op school door de juf maar ze dee dat niet ekspres wand ze dee het perongelek
Posted by Anonymous | January 31, 2009 8:15 AM
Posted on January 31, 2009 08:15
If Zwarte Piet is black because he goes down chimneys, then why aren't his clothes black also?
Posted by Marlen B | May 29, 2009 8:51 PM
Posted on May 29, 2009 20:51
hoi sint nicolaas ik zou graag een keer op amirico willen rijden ik vind hem z'n lief paard en ook zo mooi wit ik hoop dat de paarden pieten goed vfoor hemk zorgen
groetjes het meisje dat veel van paarden houd en weet
(ps ik rij zelf ook op de manege en heb een eigen paard thuis en op de manege)]
Posted by Anonymous | October 19, 2009 6:04 AM
Posted on October 19, 2009 06:04
i`m your permanent reader now
Posted by Amateur Interracial Thumbs]amateur making movie[/url]: amateur europe | November 15, 2009 5:05 PM
Posted on November 15, 2009 17:05
emm. interesting thoughts ))
Posted by Diaporamas De Sexe]sex pics[/url]: test gratuit qi | November 17, 2009 12:39 AM
Posted on November 17, 2009 00:39
Perhaps the Zwarte Piet with the white Sinterklass is a way of expressing the dominance of Christianity over the Moors that dominated Spain. Just a wild bit of conjecture. I don't really care. I am an agnostic at best but love mythology, especially to see them evolve along our way as humans.
Great post!
Have a good day, all!
Posted by Lster | December 5, 2009 3:12 PM
Posted on December 5, 2009 15:12
Dear Dawn and all commenters,
I came across the picture when searching for a picture of Sinterklaas, and I like it a lot and would like to ask your permission, Dawn, to use it in a blog for a European project when talking about Sinterklaas..
Then, I find the ongoing discussion about Sinterklaas and the swarte piet very interesting as the story contains so much about European history, Christianity, German mythology, and thus, of course it contains good and bad things.. .like history itself. It is fascinating to learn from each other about history.
I found in wikipedia.de that Saint Nicolas was a bishop in Myra, then Byzantine, and took part in the Council of Nicea, and when the Osman (Turks) took over, his bones were transferred to Bari, Italy, which was then ruled by Charles V, who then reigned also in Spain and the Netherlands. And the part of the legend that he rides a white horses is derived from the Germanic legend of Odin and his special horse Sleipnir. The story of the swarte piet is more problematic, as can be seen in the comments..
I have always liked the figure of Saint Nicolas and his generosity, and we should keep that positive story, but be aware of and investigate further the background of his helper..
I was in Amsterdam and Middelburg in November, with that European project and have come to like the Netherlands quite a lot. The people were so hospitable and nice.
Kind regards Ulrike
Posted by Ulrike Jaksch | December 6, 2009 12:31 PM
Posted on December 6, 2009 12:31
As a Romanian mother of a child whose father is Flemish and therefore wants to pass on the tradition of Sinterklass and Zwarte Piet, I am very interested in this debate! It is challenging as we live in a multiracial city like London and I have black friends and colleagues whom I would not want to offend by celebrating Sinterklass in a Flemish way! I choose to believe that Zwarte Piet was a free helper and I hope that the message of kindness of St Nicholas and his just as important black helper is what stays in people's minds! they are the multiracial team that we should take an example from! For our family of two different nationalities living in a third country, the need to celebrate something that reminds of home is very strong! I intend to celebrate Sinterklass for many years to come for the generosity and kindness which I believe it represents! the day might come when Sint Niklaas will be smaller than Zwarte Piet and be shown subserviently carrying Piet's sack to meet the needs of a new society but I will still celebrate it for the same reason!
Posted by Silvia | December 7, 2009 10:16 AM
Posted on December 7, 2009 10:16
halo sint klaas hoe vest met u paart
Posted by dominik | January 18, 2010 10:57 AM
Posted on January 18, 2010 10:57
halo sint klaas hoe vest met u paart
Posted by dominik | January 18, 2010 10:57 AM
Posted on January 18, 2010 10:57
halo sint klaas hoe vest met u paart
Posted by dominik | January 18, 2010 10:57 AM
Posted on January 18, 2010 10:57
halo sint klaas hoe vest met u paart
Posted by dominik | January 18, 2010 10:58 AM
Posted on January 18, 2010 10:58
halo sint klaas hoe vest met u paart
Posted by dominik | January 18, 2010 10:58 AM
Posted on January 18, 2010 10:58
halo sint klaas hoe vest met u paart
Posted by dominik | January 18, 2010 10:58 AM
Posted on January 18, 2010 10:58
halo sint klaas hoe vest met u paart
Posted by dominik | January 18, 2010 10:58 AM
Posted on January 18, 2010 10:58
I disagress with many of the feedback comments. So is this honest or just your take on it?
Posted by online games | April 25, 2010 4:31 PM
Posted on April 25, 2010 16:31
Dating a Japanese is actually thrilling however, you should understand the traditions before anything else.
Posted by Annemarie Akiona | July 22, 2010 12:24 PM
Posted on July 22, 2010 12:24