Why is Blackface part of Holland’s Christmas celebrations?

Tis the season to be jolly. Or, if you are in the Netherlands, ’tis the season for the annual introspection over the country’s colonial past and modern-day tolerance of racism.

Next week (5 and 6 December) sees the annual St Nicholas (Sinterklass) celebration. It’s a feast celebrated not only in the Netherlands but also in Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of northern France.

St Nicholas traditionally travels on a horse and carries a big red book to record whether or not children have been good enough over the past 12 months to receive presents. It is a time of excitement, heralding weeks of festivities. But things take a decidedly non-festive turn with the arrival of St Nicholas’s helper, “Zwarte Piet” (“Black Pete”).

The assistant is usually portrayed by a person in Blackface and a curly black wig. To celebrate this tradition, hundreds of people dress up as Black Pete, as St Nicholas and his horse parade through the streets.

The scene is obviously shocking and seems out of place, but it has become a touchstone for the identity politics coursing through northern Europe.

Defenders of Zwarte Piet claim that their cherished traditions are under threat from those who oppose the celebration. Opponents assert that the whole thing is anachronistic and offensive, especially in a country with such a strong colonial past, in Africa and Asia, as the Netherlands. And at a time of rising racism and far-right activity in Europe, it seems even more sinister.

In response, some towns have done away with the tradition of Blackface. Others cling to it as if their very existence were under threat.

The protests have begun already in anticipation of this year’s events. A couple of weeks ago in Staphorst, in the eastern part of the Netherlands, there were clashes between the two sides, and one media report talked of a “grim atmosphere” as they squared up to each other. Riot police were mobilised. Fireworks were thrown at those protesting against the tradition, by men dressed in Blackface, and Staphorst itself was closed off for a period.

Elsewhere, one protest against the Black Pete celebrations saw people holding placards that read “Black children matter”. In Breda, kerbstones were painted with slogans complaining that the whole thing is racist. More demonstrations are expected this weekend and during the festivities. Black Pete will remain an issue long after next week.

Yours,

David Harding

International editor