So, I thought I'd tell you guys about the Belgian counterpart to Saint Nick because, frankly, it's pretty amusing. The basic story is the same: Sinterklaas (as he's known here in Flanders) , assisted by his "elves", arrives to distribute presents to all the children who have been good throughout the year. Not far from our own version, right? Well, it's the details that provide the entertainment, or shock, really. So, Sinterklaas arrives by way of Steamboat (which I suppose is no sillier than a flying sleigh) from Spain on the evening of December 6th. He is assisted by his companion Zwarte Piet, or literally translated, "Black Pete". Here is a picture of Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet:
Now, you may notice that Zwarte Piet looks a bit..... strange. Here, have a closer look:
Ah, yes, I can hear the gasps as I type. That's right, Zwarte Piet is portrayed by a white man in blackface. Now we, as Americans, are shocked by this because I'm sure we all know this would NEVER fly in the U.S. But here, it just doesn't seem to bother anybody. I could be wrong, of course, but it just seems to be a part of the celebration.There are a few versions as to the origin of Pete. One is that Sinterklaas triumphed over evil and made the devil his slave. Another is that Sinterklaas liberated a young slave named Peter who then decided to serve St. Nick rather than enjoy freedom alone.
Of course, the modern day controversy that Zwarte Piet provokes has led Belgians and Dutch to come up with some more PC explanations for Pete's coloring. Now some people say that Pete's face is black from all the soot he encountered on his way down the chimney. There has even been a push more recently to have "Petes" with an assortment of face colors which they are said to have gained while passing through a rainbow on the boatride over from Spain. But apparently the Dutch weren't having any of that, and Zwarte Piet was back to being black the next year.
Anyway, thought you guys might enjoy a different interpretation of the Saint Nick story. It's one that certainly wouldn't work in the States, but it's fun to learn about a different country's take on the holiday. And the message is basically the same: be good little boys and girls or the ugly devil will use his whip to beat you, stuff you in his bag, and drag you back to Spain...... oops, I mean, be good little boys and girls if you want to get presents.
