as per your request during Wednesday's class - some pics of this great holiday in Holland:

Ninos Loas became St Nicholas (nike=win laos=people) was born in modern day Turkey - another person (saint) of colour tunned white:

http://i22.tinypic.com/2wquc2g.gif
http://i23.tinypic.com/fulw5t.jpg

No other holiday rivals that of SinterKlaas in Holland - when SinterKlaas arrives from Spain - bringing all his Black slaves with him. What fun! All the Blacks have the same name: Black Pete. History shows that St Nicholas had a favourite slave from Ethiopia - named Piter. Black Pete is Sinterklaas's "helper".. in addition, if your kids have been bad during the year, Black Pete will put them in a sack and carry them back to Spain. It is Black Petes job to entertain the crowds..

http://i24.tinypic.com/23kp4wj.jpg
http://i20.tinypic.com/vngp60.jpg
http://i20.tinypic.com/2z8702v.jpg
http://i20.tinypic.com/300bja0.jpg

In recent years, with the growing popularity of the American Xmas (celebrated later in Dec) - and the growing unpopularity of the images of slavery - they have been changing the story behind Black Piet - now he is a chimney sweeper - thus the Black face - and other such nonsense..

It was the dutch brought the tradition of Santa to the USA - hmmm.. they also brought a whole lotta real Black Pete's.

Very interesting story Sister Zulile!

Glad Brother Oldsoul asked you to share it
with us.

:heart:

sometimes I feel it is too.. bizaar.. to wrap my head around it. The Dutch were huge contributors to the slave trade, masters of apartheid, and for weeks every year, dress up likes saints and slaves..

yet.. say Holland and people think.. oohhh Amsterdam! ;) sex, drugs and rock-n-roll wins again.. hahaha

Yes, it is hard to reconcile the idea of apartheid and racial brutality with the innocent images of the dutch we were exposed to at school. You know: wooden shoes, windmills, tulips, happy maidens yodeling across the mountains. and when someone says the Netherlands I can't help thinking of Neverland and peterpan. Very incongruous.

This is deep!!!! Thanks so much for sharing this!

oh my word!!! SinterKlaas is in town!!!! only 3 more days before the big PARTY!!!

http://i16.tinypic.com/8b90741.jpg

I better go get my black face on!

http://i3.tinypic.com/8b9llwk.jpg

:em3000:

OMG! Thanks for posting Zulile.