We went up to Dordrecht yesterday so that the kids could see St. Nicholas arrive on his boat from Spain. Once he hits dry land he mounts his horse and parades through the streets, accompanied by hundreds of "Black Petes".Black Piet is an eerie creature, with clear blue eyes, who bounces around like a jester and amuses young and old with wacky hijinx.
As a bleeding-heart liberal democrat who grew up in the South I have a hard time deciding where I stand on the Black Piet issue. The image is a little too close to the (b)lackeys holding lanterns that dotted Floridian front yards in the 70's. And although I am assured (by white Nederlanders) that no one finds him offensive I still have my reservations...
More proof of bizarre Dutch behavior-- sprinkles for breakfast! I'm fighting a losing battle against sugar as a breakfast food. Apparently it's a necessity in order to qualify for Dutch citizenship... (Jump right in at any time, Tara!)
4 comments:
In Britain we used to have the 'Black and White Minstral Show' a light intertainment program where men 'blacked-up' and sang stage show numbers. It drew on average 15 million viewers each week. But due to Political Correctness this had to stop and so did the programe. Recently they tried to revive it as the 'Minstral Show' without blacking up and it went down like a lead balloon.
Are they always dressed that way? I think it is wrong to make people dress like that no matter what color they are.
I hope you're not being snyde about S's blue windbreaker...
Oh my gosh, I'd totally forgotten about those salt and pepper shakers! Weren't they pickaninnys or something else completely inappropriate???
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