Sinterklaas

Sinterklaas—also called Sint-Nicolaas, De Sint, De Goede Sint, or De Goedheiligman—is a legendary figure rooted in Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children. The name and its variations appear across the Low Countries, nearby regions, and former Dutch colonies. The feast marks Saint Nicholas’s name day on 6 December, with gifts given on the evening of 5 December in the Netherlands and on the morning of 6 December in Belgium, Luxembourg, western Germany, and parts of northern France, as well as in some former Dutch territories such as Aruba. This tradition is one of the origins of the modern Santa Claus.

The figure is based on the historical Saint Nicholas (270–343), a Greek bishop of Myra in what is now Turkey. He is shown as an elderly, serious man with white hair and a long beard, wearing a red cape or chasuble over a white bishop’s alb, sometimes a red stole, a red mitre, a ruby ring, and carrying a gold-colored crosier. He arrives by steamboat from Spain and rides a white horse. In the Netherlands, television specials named his horse: until 2019 it was Amerigo, then replaced by Ozosnel, from a well-known song. In Belgium, the horse is called Slecht weer vandaag or Mooi weer vandaag. Sinterklaas carries a big red book that records whether each child has been good or naughty.

He is assisted by Zwarte Piet, a helper in Moorish attire with a black-painted face. This character first appeared in print in 1850 in *Saint Nicholas and his Servant* by Amsterdam teacher Jan Schenkman, though the tradition dates to at least the early 19th century. Zwarte Piet’s colorful dress is based on 16th-century noble clothing, with a ruff and feathered cap. He carries a bag of candy to toss, a practice linked to the story of Saint Nicholas tossing gold coins through a window to save three girls from prostitution. Traditionally, he also carried a birch rod to spank naughty children, and older songs mention putting naughty children in his bag to be taken to Spain—a reference to Moorish raids that abducted people into slavery. This quality appears in other Saint Nicholas companions like Krampus and Père Fouettard. In modern celebrations, the rod is gone, and children are no longer told they will be taken to Spain. Over time, Zwarte Piet became a valuable assistant, with television adaptations creating specialized roles like Head Piet, Navigation Piet, Presents Piet, and Acrobatic Piet. Traditionally, his black face is explained as being a Moor from Spain; today, some children are told it is soot from climbing chimneys.

Since the 2010s, the holiday has sparked editorials, debates, documentaries, protests, and violent clashes. Most cities and TV channels now use Zwarte Piet characters with only soot smudges, called roetveegpieten or schoorsteenpieten, instead of full blackface. In 2013, 92% of the Dutch public did not see Zwarte Piet as racist or linked to slavery, and 91% opposed changing his appearance. In 2018, 80–88% did not find him racist, and 41–54% were happy with the modernized look. A June 2020 survey showed a drop in support for the traditional appearance: 47% favored it, down from 71% in November 2019. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a June 2020 parliamentary debate that he had changed his view and now understood people who consider the character racist.

The celebration is widely popular in the Netherlands, observed by Dutch Jews, Muslims, and all age groups. However, a 2023 survey found that most people are less keen to celebrate following the controversy over Zwarte Piet. The tradition begins with Sinterklaas arriving by steamboat from Spain, accompanied by his Zwarte Piet helpers.