BLACK PETE
Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete, is popular in Dutch culture, where evidently walking around in blackface, an afro, and painted red lips won’t earn you a roundhouse kick to the face. Filthy racism aside, Black Pete is actually a helpful fellow — he assists Sinterklaas (European Santa) in passing out gifts. If you’re wondering why Black Pete has such a racist look, so were we! Some legends say he was a chimney sweep who was covered in soot, while children’s author Jan Schenkman published a book in 1850 (“Saint Nicholas and His Servant”) that straight up showed Santa with a black page boy servant by his side.
Not surprisingly, the character pisses lots of people off, and sparks protests calling for Pete’s retirement.
