If you’ve ever been in Amsterdam or Antwerp during the chilly weeks of late November, you’ve likely seen something that stopped you dead in your tracks. Amidst the smell of roasted chestnuts and the ringing of church bells, there’s a guy on a white horse who looks exactly like the Santa Claus we know in the West. But next to him? Characters with faces painted pitch black, wearing bright Renaissance-style page costumes, sporting afro wigs and large gold earrings. This is Black Pete Santa Claus—or Zwarte Piet—and honestly, it’s one of the most polarizing cultural artifacts in Europe today.
To an American or a Brit, it looks like a 19th-century minstrel show brought to life. It feels visceral. It’s a gut-punch of "wait, are they really doing that?" But to a significant portion of the Dutch and Flemish population, it’s a childhood memory of candy, songs, and "gezelligheid" (that untranslatable Dutch word for cozy togetherness).
This isn't just about a parade. It’s a clash of worldviews that has sparked riots, arrests, and even a United Nations investigation.
Where Did Black Pete Actually Come From?
Most people assume this tradition goes back to the Middle Ages. It doesn’t.
Actually, the modern version of Sinterklaas and his helper was largely codified by a schoolteacher named Jan Schenkman in his 1850 book, Sint Nicolaas en zijn Knecht (Saint Nicholas and his Servant). Before Schenkman, the Saint usually traveled alone. Sometimes he was accompanied by a chained devil or a "scary man" meant to frighten naughty children, but the specific image of the Moorish page was Schenkman’s invention.
Why a Moorish page? In the mid-19th century, the Netherlands was a colonial power. Having a servant from a distant land—specifically Spain, where the Dutch Sinterklaas supposedly lives—was a status symbol.
The "Sooty" Narrative vs. Historical Reality
If you ask a traditionalist in a Dutch village why the character is black, they’ll tell you the "Sooty Pete" story. They’ll look you in the eye and say, "He’s black because he climbs down the chimneys to deliver gifts."
It’s a convenient explanation. But it doesn't really hold up when you look at the 20th-century version of the costume. Chimney soot doesn't usually result in perfectly uniform black skin, bright red lipstick, curly wigs, and gold hoop earrings. Those are specific racial signifiers of the Zwarte (Black) part of the name. Historians like Jozef Vos have pointed out that while the "sooty" explanation gained traction in the late 20th century as a way to deflect criticism, the visual roots are firmly planted in colonial-era depictions of African servants.
The Turning Point: Why the World Started Noticing
For decades, the Netherlands operated in a bit of a vacuum. They saw Zwarte Piet as an innocent children’s character. But as the country became more diverse and the internet made local traditions global, the backlash became impossible to ignore.
The real shift started around 2011. An artist named Quinsy Gario began a project called "Zwarte Piet Is Racisme" (Black Pete is Racism). He was arrested at a Sinterklaas parade for wearing a T-shirt with that slogan. That arrest was the spark. Suddenly, the debate wasn't just in art galleries; it was on every talk show and at every dinner table.
The UN Weighs In
By 2015, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination got involved. They released a report stating that the character of Black Pete Santa Claus was sometimes portrayed in a way that reflected negative stereotypes. They urged the Dutch government to actively work on changing the tradition.
The reaction? It was explosive.
On one side, you had the "Kick Out Zwarte Piet" (KOZP) movement. On the other, you had "Pro-Piet" groups who felt their culture was being colonized by "woke" American values. It got ugly. There were instances of protesters being pelted with eggs and bananas. In 2020, a group of pro-Piet activists even blocked a highway to stop protesters from reaching a parade.
The Rise of the "Sooty Pete" (Roetveegpiet)
Change is happening, even if it’s slow. If you go to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or Utrecht today, you won't see the old-school Black Pete Santa Claus.
Instead, you’ll see Roetveegpieten.
These are "Sooty Petes." The actors have their natural skin tone, with just a few smudges of black charcoal on their cheeks to represent the chimney. No wigs. No earrings. No red lips.
- Public Broadcasting: The national Sinterklaas news program (Sinterklaasjournaal) phased out the full-face paint several years ago.
- Retail Giants: Major Dutch retailers like Bol.com and HEMA stopped using traditional Pete imagery in their marketing and toy aisles.
- Facebook/Meta: In 2020, Meta banned images of Black Pete that used "dehumanizing caricatures" on Facebook and Instagram.
It’s a compromise. Traditionalists hate it because they say it ruins the "magic" (kids won't recognize their uncles if they aren't fully disguised). Reformers say it’s a step in the right direction but that the "servant" dynamic still feels dated.
Understanding the "Gezellig" Defense
To understand why people fight so hard for this, you have to understand the Dutch concept of gezelligheid. For many, Sinterklaas is the peak of the year. It’s about family, writing funny poems to each other, and eating pepernoten (tiny spiced cookies).
When someone says, "That character you love is racist," many Dutch people hear, "You are a bad person, and your childhood memories are evil."
That’s why the defense is so fierce. It’s defensive. It’s not necessarily that 50% of the Netherlands is harboring deep-seated white supremacist views; it’s that they feel a sense of "cultural mourning." They are losing a piece of their identity, and they feel the world is judging them through a lens—American racial history—that they don't think applies to them.
But, as critics point out, intent doesn't negate impact. You can have the "purest" intentions and still participate in something that causes pain to your fellow citizens.
What Happens Next?
The era of the traditional Black Pete Santa Claus is effectively over in major urban centers. It’s becoming a "rural vs. urban" divide. In small villages in the north or south, you’ll still see the old-school version. But in the cultural and economic hearts of the country, Pete has moved on.
Interestingly, the Sinterklaas tradition itself remains incredibly popular. The "Saint" isn't the problem; the "Helper" was. By shifting to Sooty Petes, the holiday has actually found a way to survive in a multicultural society.
Practical Advice for Travelers and Expats
If you find yourself in the Low Countries during the holidays, here is how to navigate this:
- Observe first. Don't go into a small-town pub and start lecturing people on 19th-century racial tropes. You won't win hearts; you'll just get a very cold shoulder.
- Look for the Sooty Pete. If you are sensitive to the imagery, stick to the parades in the big cities (Amsterdam, The Hague). These have transitioned almost entirely to the reformed version.
- Acknowledge the complexity. If you talk to locals, acknowledge that you understand it’s a beloved family holiday. This opens the door for them to listen when you explain why the imagery is jarring to the rest of the world.
- Support local artists. Many Afro-Dutch artists are creating new traditions and stories around Sinterklaas that don't rely on 1850s caricatures.
The transformation of Black Pete Santa Claus is a live case study in how a society renegotiates its past to make room for its future. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s often uncomfortable. But it’s also proof that traditions aren't static—they’re a conversation.
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If you're looking to dive deeper into this cultural shift, I recommend checking out the documentary Zwarte Piet en ik or reading the works of Gloria Wekker, a professor who has written extensively on the "Dutch colonial innocence." Understanding the history makes the current headlines a lot more legible.
Next Steps for Understanding European Traditions
- Research the "Companion" Archetype: Look into Krampus (Austria/Germany) or Père Fouettard (France) to see how other cultures handled the "dark helper" figure.
- Follow the News Cycles: Check Dutch outlets like NOS or NL Times in early November to see the current year's parade guidelines, as they change annually.
- Visit the Tropenmuseum: If you are in Amsterdam, this museum often has excellent exhibits on the Netherlands' colonial past and how it manifests in modern culture.