Hollands War on Christmas: Dutch Sinterklaas tradition a threat

[elehhhhna]

Dutch Sinterklaas tradition at threat
28 November 2006

AMSTERDAM — The Sinterklaas tradition appears to be gradually fading in the multicultural Dutch society in the face of rising criticism to the saint's helpers, 'Zwarte Pieten' (Black Peters).

A Sinterklaas was attacked by youths at several locations in recent days and public broadcasters have indicated they want to start a debate on the Black Peters.

Debate about Zwarte Pieten has been intensifying in recent years, with some immigrant groups complaining about racist connotations, news service NIS reported on Tuesday.

Tradition, however, states that Sinterklaas' helpers are not black slaves, but have black faces from sliding down chimneys to deliver presents.

Sinterklaas, the Dutch equivalent of Santa Claus, arrives by steamboat from Spain at about 20 November each year to give presents to all children on 5 December.

http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=1&story_id=34665

[itsmesgd]

1. is sinterklaas being criticized or merely drifting into the background

Holland is the most culturally diverse ccountry that I have ever traveled to. There are so many different people doing so many different things that I believe the tradition is simply falling by the wayside. Two winters ago, it was hard for my former in-laws to find a sinterklaas and other holiday chocolates to bring with them to the states. When I was in Rotterdam over a christmas break, it was hard to find much holiday spirit of any kind. I do not recal their being a "war on sinterklaas or zwarte pete". I think that they are too busy progressing towards a multi-culture society to worry about "silly" traditions of old. Similar to people here, many are too busy working to worry about a story character.

[elehhhhna]

2. zwarte pete should probably be retired...

The rest is for babies, anyway, and as long as they still have spicy cookies, there'll always be good Christmases in Holland.

[itsmesgd]

3. exactly..

stories fall from the wayside when there is good food, hookers, and pot to be had for christmas (or any day, that is)

[elehhhhna]

8. LOL Every Day is Christmas for the herbalists

[jonnyblitz]

4. my little niece and nephew were in school over there and

were taught about it. The school they went to was some international school outside of Amsterdam in Amstelveen with kids from all over the world so they were probably being told about it under the guise of local customs. I was over there visiting them prior to christmas when they still lived there and learned all about sinterklaas and zwarte pete from them. This was around 2003.

[mcscajun]

5. Sinterklaas is fading also because of a shift to the American-type Santa Claus

traditions.

I have to admit when I visited Amsterdam in late November a few years ago, I was taken aback by the ubiquitous display of Black Peters in store windows, bakeries, and even a group in full satin Renaissance costumes at my hotel for some party or other.

It's a different culture, without a history of blackface minstrelsy, so I'm reluctant to impose American sensibilities on it, but still, it was disconcerting.

On a lighter note, the business with the Chocolate and baked goods in the shapes of initials had to be explained to me, too. :)

[itsmesgd]

6. chocolate initials

I never understood the custom of giving kids their initials in chocolate, but as long as they were given, I was smiling.

[elehhhhna]

9. DIsconcerting? The country that transported all those slaves has a black Santa's helper

tradition and you find this disconcerting? ROFL!
I'm DUTCH and I find it so as well!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. They could have the Black Peters DRESS in black and lose the blackface.

A small adaptation. Wonder if anyone tried that?

[BelgianMadCow]

7. Well, in Belgium he's still going strong

We welcomed the Holy Man and his helpers when he arrived in Damme (near Bruges) by steam boat two weekends ago.
:-)
http://www.focustv.be/nieuws/streaming.jsp & chose clip "Sinterklaas, blijde intrede"

Also, toy sales were frantic.

Is should add that in Belgium, Sinterklaas is explained to kids and they "believe" for some time that he really brings the gifts.
Christmas on the other hand is celebrated as the birth of Jesus and is a family gathering often with night mass, and Santa is really practically nowhere to be seen (except in some garden light displays, that did drift across the pond).