What does Zwarte Piet mean in English?
Black Pete
Zwarte Piet (Dutch: [ˈzʋɑrtə ˈpit]; Luxembourgish: Schwaarze Péiter, Indonesian: Pit Hitam, West Frisian: Swarte Pyt), also known in English by the translated name Black Pete, is the companion of Saint Nicholas (Dutch: Sinterklaas, West Frisian: Sinteklaas, Luxembourgish: Kleeschen, Indonesian: Sinterklas) in the …
What is the story behind Zwarte Piet?
Zwarte Piet was a Moorish orphan boy Sinterklaas adopted and trained as his assistant. This fusing in the folklore of the historical meeting of “East and West” would come to fuel the current cultural clash within the Netherlands, once its colonial past led to today’s increasingly multicultural society.
How old is the Zwarte Piet tradition?
Black Pete, or Zwarte Piet as he is known in the Netherlands, is a holiday tradition dating back to the 19th century that depicts a helper of Saint Nicholas dressed in blackface with an Afro wig, large red lips and golden hoop earrings.
What is Dutch Christmas called?
Sinterklaas is a children’s festivity in the Netherlands that has been celebrated for over 300 years. On December 5, Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas) is said to come by steamboat from Spain.
What is black Santa name?
But these parades have taken on an increasingly political—and violent—tone this year because of Santa’s traditional blackface sidekick. In Dutch tradition, Sinterklaas has a “helper” named Zwarte Piet, or “Black Pete,” who usually appears as a blackface character with large gold earrings and exaggerated lips.
Where do Dutch people live?
the Netherlands
Over time, English-speaking people used the word Dutch to describe people from both the Netherlands and Germany, and now just the Netherlands today.
Who invented Zwarte Piet?
Jerry Afriyie, along with Quinsy Gario, was one of the two founders of the Zwarte Piet is Racisme campaign in 2011.
What do the Netherlands drink on Christmas?
At the start of the Christmas season Dutch pubs begin to sell a delicious type of mulled wine called glühwein. This warming drink is significantly more peppery than other European variants and contains traditional Dutch spices like anise, nutmeg and cinnamon.
What do the Netherlands eat on Christmas?
Preparing a Dutch Christmas feast Dutch Christmas dinners usually consist of venison, goose, hare, or turkey with plenty of vegetables and Kerstbrood (Christmas bread). The Dutch also celebrate by eating gourmetten, a hot plate on which diners place a set of mini pans containing their choice of meat or vegetables.
What race was Santa?
Sullivan Chair in Catholic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, said depictions of Santa Claus as a white man came about mainly because he was a European import, a blend of the Dutch Sinterklaas and British folklore character Father Christmas, with elements of Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Greek bishop in …
Are Dutch Vikings?
Although it is impossible to know the origins of everyone in the Netherlands, it can be speculated that some of them have Viking blood so this is a Dutch Viking. One thing is for certain, people with Viking ancestry do live in different parts of Europe.