The traditional Dutch festival involves a group of “helpers” who tend to wear blackface and afro wigs, along with hooped earrings and bright red lips.
Every year on 5 December the Netherlands celebrates Sinterklaas dag, which is St Nicholas's Day.
The story goes that St Nicholas and his helpers come to the Netherlands and hand out presents during the night to all the good children. The helpers climb down a chimney and deliver the gifts.
Children are told to leave a carrot in a shoe to give to the horses that the helpers are riding.
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This is one of the popular songs.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqTlZQqwHGE&w=560&h=349]
A few weeks before 5 December, St Nicholas and his helpers arrive on a steamboat.
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The helpers are known as "Zwarte Piet", which means "Black Pete".
The popular reason that's given for their blackness is that it's from chimney soot. But another version of the story says the helpers are based on black slaves.
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The Netherlands Is Arguing About Whether It Should Use Black Face At Christmas
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