Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet

Living in Europe, we have the opportunity to experience different customs and cultures. It's really interesting to see how the Belgians celebrate the holidays. For obvious reasons, they do not celebrate Thanksgiving, but they readily embrace the tradition of Christmas. After all, who doesn't love Christmas? Where we have Santa Clause in the US, Belgians have Sinterklaas (or Sint-Nicolaas). The basic premise is the same, but there are a few differences. They celebrate Saint Nicholas Day on December 6 with a big feast. A few weeks before this day, Saint Nicholas comes to Belgium and The Netherlands on his steamboat from Spain (where they prepare the toys), with his trusty helpers that are known as Zwarte Pieten. Apparently this is their version of elves. From his arrival and until the day of the feast, children put their shoes in front of the fireplace in anticipation. Sinterklaas arrives on their rooftops on the night before the feast, riding his trusty white and gray horse called Schimmel. Zwarte Piet goes down the chimney to deliver candy and presents into the shoes of the good girls and boys, and coal into the shoes of the bad ones. When they are done with deliveries, they head back to Spain.

On Tuesday, Sinterklaas and his helpers paid a visit to Brandon's school. I was tied up with something else and couldn't check out the festivities first hand, but I asked him all about it the second he walked through the door. "How was Sinterklaas?" I asked. Brandon dropped his jacket and back pack and said, "I don't want to talk about it." What? I know he is getting older and more worldly wise, but I did think he would find the visit interesting. I asked him what the problem was. He had only one thing to say to this..."Zwarte Piet."
"Mom," he said, "They freaked me out a little. They were as tall as Dad, had black faces and bright red lipstick, and white stuff around their necks. I couldn't even tell if they were guys or girls." Now that he mentioned it, they do look a little creepy. Just the thought of one of those crawling down my chimney would probably keep me up at night. Zwarte Piet translates to Black Pete. Supposedly they are traditionally of Moorish decent, and their faces are black with soot from climbing down the chimney. No one really explains the bright red lipstick. Your guess is as good as mine on that one. Can you imagine a 6 foot tall Zwarte Piet coming at you? They aren't exactly our cute and cuddly elves. Oh, well. Live and learn. I guess some traditions are better left to the locals. I'll stick with Santa and his elves. Brandon will be sleeping with a baseball bat under his bed for the next month...just in case.