The Zwarte Piet Dilemma

Ok, I know this topic has been discussed to death in The Netherlands. But I though I'd put my two cents in as well, partly because I think I can offer a unique perspective of being Dutch yet growing up outside of The Netherlands. I know many of my American friends don't even know this tradition exists, and those that do are usually pretty uncomfortable with the idea. Don't expect me to come to a clear conclusion at the end, because I still struggle with my feelings on it every year.

Zwarte Piet: racism or not?

Let me give a little background first. While we do celebrate Christmas on December 25, that is not our main holiday night. Sinterklaas is on the 5th of December, and that is when all the children get their gifts. While some foreigners might consider him a copycat Santa Clause, he was actually one of the sources of inspiration for the western image of Santa Clause. As with many old traditions, the exact origins of Sinterklaas are uncertain, but Roman-Catholic and Pagan influences (such as similarities between Sinterklaas and the Germanic god Odin) have been identified.

Odin - the basis for Sinterklaas?

The most obvious basis for Sinterklaas is obviously Saint Nicholas, who is the patron saint of sailors, children, and Amsterdam. Sinterklaas is accompanied by Zwarte Piet, his helper who is traditionally black, wearing a renaissance-era pageboy outfit. The actors portraying Zwarte Piet are rarely ever black - the black face paint is seen as a necessary part of the costume.

According to legend, Sinterklaas comes to Holland from Spain on a steamboat in mid-November. He arrives in every Dutch city with his helpers, the Zwarte Pieten, who toss candy and treats to the children. On the night of December 5, all the children put their shoes on the hearth, and fill it with vegetables and hay for Sinterklaas' horse. During the night, Sinterklaas rides with his white horse over the rooftops of Holland, and Zwarte Piet goes down the chimney to deposit the gifts. The next morning, when the children wake up, Sinterklaas has filled their shoe with small presents.

I think I can offer an interesting perspective on this holiday. I was born in The Netherlands and spent my early life here. Like every other child, I adored Sinterklaas. I remember fondly making paper Zwarte Piet hats in school in the weeks leading up to December 5. When we moved to America, my family kept that tradition alive. Every winter, my sister and I would take our wooden shoe, and fill it with carrots and hay on December 5, and leave it in front of the fireplace in my basement. I remember always worrying that Sinterklaas would forget us because we didn't live in Holland anymore. But every year, without fail, we would wake up in the morning, and my shoe would be filled with little presents, and all the Dutch candy and cookies we only got once a year. And every year, I got a little homesick. Thankfully, I grew up right outside Washington, DC, so my sister and I were fortunate enough to be able to celebrate Sinterklaas with a sizable Dutch expat community. The Dutch embassy would have  a Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Pieten every year, and we would go and enjoy the traditional Sinterklaas music, food, and activities. And then Sinterklaas would open his big book, and all the children would gather around, and he would call everyone out one by one.

My little sister Saskia and I waiting to get scolded, and then receive our presents from Sinterklaas

I remember hating this part. I was so painfully shy, and every year, when he got to my name I turned crimson. "Kirsten van der Noordaa! I hear that you haven't been sharing your toys with your sister, and that you threw a soccer ball at her head. This is very naughty. If you continue to be naughty, Zwarte Piet here will put you in his sack and bring you back to Spain with us." Obviously when I got older, I realized that would never happen, and my parents had just told Sinterklaas of some fight we had earlier in the week. But when I was younger, I was still terrified it would happen. But he would always end it with a, "but your parents say you read a lot, and are a sweet girl, so here is your present" or something like that.

I think the last time we went to the embassy to celebrate I was about 9 or 10 years old. I remember that being the year I realized that Zwarte Piet was a sensitive subject for a lot of people. That was the year that the Dutch embassy bowed to pressure, and instead of having Zwarte Piet paint his face black, they had them all paint their faces rainbow colors.

Interesting choice how they painted themselves rainbow colors, yet kept the traditional depictions in the decorations.

 I cannot describe to you the outrage they faced from the Dutch community. One thing the Dutch cannot stand is messing with their culture. And so, Sinterklaas is still accompanied by his Zwarte Pieten to this day in Washington, DC.

But I remember realizing that year that something was a little off with the idea of Zwarte Piet. For me, and I think I can speak for many Dutchmen, growing up I didn't associate him with racism or even with black people at all. It was almost as if I considered Zwarte Piet to be a race on its own. But that's when it first occurred to me that the image of Zwarte Piet had a darker connotation for many people, and maybe this holiday wasn't as innocent as I'd imagined. 

Keep in mind, at this point I had been living in America for five years. I was already a big history buff, and had already learned a pretty good overview of American history. Obviously there are some major differences between Dutch and American history. The United States still experiences an uncomfortable relationship with its racist past. One of the mains reasons is that these events in American history didn't even happen too long ago. The Jim Crow laws, a collection of state and local laws that mandated separate but equal status for African Americans but really led to racism and inferior treatment, weren't overruled until 1965. Indeed, the name Jim Crow comes from a caricature song-and-dance act staged by a white man wearing blackface called "Jump Jim Crow" from 1832. Hundreds of pages could be written about the social, cultural, and political effects of the blackface trend in America. One of the main features of blackface was that it was intended to play up and ridicule what was then considered to be typical African American stereotypes. The black face paint was usually accompanied by over-exaggerated red lips, and a simple, happy-go-lucky demeanor. Obviously, this is extremely offensive. 

In The Netherlands, interaction with black populations is usually attributed to the colonial era of our history. At one time, The Netherlands was the most powerful empire in the world, and had colonies everywhere. The most famous one is of course the colony of New Amsterdam, which today is known as New York City. But other colonies include Indonesia, Suriname, Guyana, the Malaku Islands, South Africa, and the Dutch Antilles. The Netherlands is not proud of its imperial past, it isn't netjes to talk about. However, I don't think it carries nearly the same extent of taboo and cringe-worthiness (I just made that a word, get over it) as American's ownership of its racist past. 

So let me tackle the Zwarte Piet dilemma from two perspectives. For over a hundred years, Zwarte Piet has been a treasured part of the Dutch culture. Dutch children grow up loving Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet, and aren't dressing as him to mock him, but to celebrate him. We have lost so much of our Dutch culture over the years, but this particular holiday is sacred to us. It is like saying to children that Santa is not allowed to have his reindeer and elves. It is so deeply ingrained in our cultural identity, and it is never taught to children from a racist place. 

Now looking at it from the opposite perspective. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. You can swear up and down that you don't mean it like that. But what's important at the end of the day is how it's culturally perceived. For example, I have always had a problem with people flying the Confederate flag in America. Supporters say the flag stands for Southern pride. For me, and many others, it stands for racism. That's akin to a German claiming the Swastika stands for German pride, you can't just appropriate cultural meaning to a symbol because you have personally decided it means something else. Objects and symbols gain their definition and social meaning over a long period of time based on historical events and cultural perception, and I believe it would take a great force and a long period of time for that to be changed. I am not trying to compare the Swastika to Zwarte Piet, but merely trying to illustrate the pervasive power cultural recollection has. Blackface is a symbol of discrimination and racism in many countries around the world, and for many belongs in the past. Just because we say we don't mean it that way, does that make it ok? 

But I cannot deny the place that Zwarte Piet has in my heart. I grew up with such a fond image of him. He always seemed like the less scary one. While Sinterklaas was calling me out and scolding me, Zwarte Piet would be over his shoulder, winking at me and giving me candy. It makes me sad to think that one day, Dutch children may not be able to enjoy him as I have. Whenever I would explain to my American friends the holiday of Sinterklaas, I always felt very defensive when they attacked the image of Zwarte Piet. I wasn't taught it that way, and I certainly didn't see it that way. But then again, most children don't. What I think may be wrong is that as we grow up, we see the darker history behind it. Is it then our responsibility, as educated adults to teach our children that racism and mockery is wrong, regardless of the innocent intentions behind it? 

I know I didn't really come out fully on either side. This is probably due to the fact that I had an upbringing in two different countries, and so I can see it from both perspectives. If you guys are interested in learning more about the Zwarte Piet controversy, this movie gives a really great overview of the growing feelings of discomfort regarding him within Holland.