Time for Saint Nick to ditch Black Pete?

Belgium and The Netherlands are two countries that pride themselves on progressive laws and open societies, but critics say they are stuck in the dark ages when it comes to depictions of Santa and his helpers, write Reuters’ Robert-Jan Bartunek and Thomas Escritt. Saint Nic(h)olas, or Sinterklaas in Dutch, brings presents to children on December 6 in Belgium, and is always accompanied by at least one assistant dressed in 17th-century costume who has a blackened face. The tradition has been difficult for Dutch and Belgian people to explain abroad, where Zwarte Piet in Dutch (Black Pete), or Père Fouettard in French (Father Whip), is viewed with either outrage or ridicule. For most Dutch and Belgians the blackface sidekick is an innocuous fairytale character who assists the popular Saint Nick and hands out sweets to children, but some argue he is a harmful stereotype best done away with. Nevertheless, Black Pete remains popular in 2012, and his traditional arrival by boat with Sinterklaas a few weeks ahead of the actual celebration was witnessed by thousands of starry-eyed children in Brussels and Amsterdam.