History Matters: Blackface at the Holidays

The "traditional" celebration of St. Nicholas, the Dutch equivalent of Santa Claus, is the most popular children's holiday in the Netherlands. Every year, or so it is believed, St. Nicholas arrives with a steamer packed with gifts and sweets that he distributes among Dutch children on the eve of his birthday, December 6th.

But he does not travel alone; numerous servants all by the name of Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) aid him. These servile, funny, and silly aides wear a 17^th century page costume, have blackface, thick red lips, golden earrings, and black curly hair. They are tremendously popular with Dutch children.

Since 2011, however, the appearance and behavior of these Black Petes have received increasing scrutiny from groups that have convincingly argued that Black Pete is a racial stereotype stemming from the colonial era. The public backlash against these protests has been unprecedented and has shockingly laid bare the racial divides within Dutch society, as the majority of Dutch people fiercely reject the suggestion of Zwarte Piet as a racial stereotype.

This talk will historicize the character of Black Pete and the celebration of St. Nicholas in an attempt to explain where this tradition originated, how it changed over time, why it became contested, and what it reveals about contemporary Dutch society. In addition, these developments will be connected to the increasing political polarization in Europe in general regarding the continent's significant Muslim population, the growing number of migrants on its doorsteps, and the rejection of the European Union itself.