A Dictionary of Dutchness

Zwarte Piet

Nothing raises more Dutch hackles than criticism of Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), the black helpers who accompany Sinterklaas (Father Christmas) and distribute ginger-nut biscuits to children. The character first appears in a 1850s book as the Sint’s Moorish page, wearing the familiar bloomers and earrings, but without a name. The name came in a later book, and his black face is now said to be due to the soot he picked up climbing down chimneys to deliver presents rather than any racial significance.