Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) updated
In the five years since I last wrote about Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) things have changed, mostly for the better. Black Pete is disappearing.
Sinterklaas
Christmas Compared
It’s almost Christmas, and I’ve been thinking a lot this year about the holiday as an event. Perhaps because I was much less busy this year than in previous years leading up to it, I’ve been noticing more. Note added at Christmas 2020: While I wrote this back in 2015, these observations still apply ……
Zwarte Piet Updated
Zwarte Piet – a tradition in the Netherlands that involves blackface – is disappearing. This post looks at the evolving situation.
Black Pete redux
Speaking of local traditions, Sinterklaas is approaching again, and with it, the controversy over Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). As I posted last year, Sinterklaas (the holiday) takes place on December 5th. On that day, as well as the weeks leading up to it, Sinterklaas (the person) delivers gifts to children, landing on their roofs on…
Is Black Pete racist?
To state the patently obvious, it’s terribly racist in this day and age for a white person to dress up in blackface and play a comic character.