This is a video from the USA, criticizing the role of “Zwarte Piet” in Dutch Saint Nicholas celebrations.
22 November 2012
Sinterklaas celebration in Suriname is out of the question. The festival has a racist element, the “Zwarte Pieten”.
the blackface helpers of the bishop Saint Nicholas, according to nineteenth century Dutch tradition. Reminiscent of slavery in Suriname, a Dutch plantation colony then.
This festival does not belong in Suriname and should be abolished. Ronald Venetiaan (New Front / NPS) mentioned this issue emphatically in the National Assembly today.
New Front is the main opposition in the parliament in Suriname. The government parties agreed with him.
After Suriname had become independent, in the 1980s, the Sinterklaas celebration had already been abolished once, but it had returned later.
For more about objections to celebrating Sinterklaas, see here. And here. And here.
The Hague, the Netherlands: Racism at Pro-Black Pete Demonstration: here.
Dutch racists threaten singer Anouk in Zwarte Piet discussion: here.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Amsterdam on Saturday to protest against the continuing presence of Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete, in Christmas celebrations: here.
USA: Fanning the controversy that has been batted around cable news this holiday season, Bill O’Reilly agreed with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly that Santa Claus is, in fact, white: here.
Related articles
- Unearthing history: Indian workers killed 110 years ago in Suriname (repeatingislands.com)
- Holiday Stocking History (personalcreations.com)
- Kleurplaat / Coloring (susiart.blogspot.com)
- En Sinterklaas is er weer! (expatsincebirth.com)
- Dutch Christmas parade under fire for ‘blacked up’ Santa’s helpers (telegraph.co.uk)
- Christmas already in the Caribbean? (lisalaughs.wordpress.com)
- Zwarte Piet: A Racist Caricature? (racialicious.com)
- Sinterklaas recipe for Dutch kruidnootjes – spicy little cookies you have to try in honor of Saint Nicolas! (eatandgetmoving.wordpress.com)
- Racist claims threaten existence of Santa helper (thehimalayantimes.com)
- Black Pete exposes the Netherlands’ problem with race (guardian.co.uk)
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Wow that’s cynical & harsh! I get where they’re coming from but man get over yourselves here, it’s a Holiday and tradition, it has nothing to do with any slave driven activities (anymore). We can’t all of a sudden say all Zwarte Pieten will be white next year, because that would confuse the hell out off all the children who still believe Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet are real. So yeah… the holiday makes a good joke for foreigners, but it’s a little close minded if you’d ask me 😉 However open-mindedness never made a good joke, so for the sake of the video, I’d say good job.
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Hi eatandgetmoving, in the original Saint Nicholas celebration, the bishop did not have a servant, let alone an African servant.
Zwarte Piet was invented by Schenkman in the nineteenth century, with definite references to the slavery of that time.
For a more extensive discussion of the arguments for and against Zwarte Piet, see, eg,
https://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/dutch-slavery-blackface-holiday-2/
And, in Dutch:
http://socialisme.nu/blog/nieuws/32040/alledaags-racisme-in-nederland/
Often, supporters of the role of Zwarte Piet in the Sinterklaas celebration claim that Zwarte Piet is not black from being an African slave, but from climbing through chimneys. However, if a white man climbs through chimneys, then he will not get big red lips or an Afro hairstyle, like Zwarte Piet, from that 🙂
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Thanks for the links, those are very interesting.. never heard of this information before 🙂
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You are welcome, eatandgetmoving 🙂
Often, many people participating in traditions don’t know about the historical development background of them.
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Shock as blacking up is found to be racist
It’s been a difficult year for those who claim that Santa’s slave helper in the Netherlands isn’t racist. Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete, is played by a white person in black make-up.
Cops in Rotterdam were bombarded with “discriminatory” insults when they blacked up as Piet to go undercover.
Cops may now better understand Quinsy Gario, who they arrested last year for wearing a “Zwarte Piet is racism” T-shirt at a Christmas parade. They also pepper-sprayed him in the eyes. Quinsy’s mum had been called Zwarte Piet at work.
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=30182
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