Why is Blackface part of Holland’s Christmas celebrations?

It has become a touchstone for the identity politics coursing through northern Europe, writes David Harding

Some towns have done away with the tradition of Blackface (ANP/AFP via Getty)

Tis the season to be jolly. Or, if you are in the Netherlands, ’tis the season for the annual introspection over the country’s colonial past and modern-day tolerance of racism.

Next week (5 and 6 December) sees the annual St Nicholas (Sinterklass) celebration. It’s a feast celebrated not only in the Netherlands but also in Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of northern France.

St Nicholas traditionally travels on a horse and carries a big red book to record whether or not children have been good enough over the past 12 months to receive presents. It is a time of excitement, heralding weeks of festivities. But things take a decidedly non-festive turn with the arrival of St Nicholas’s helper, “Zwarte Piet” (“Black Pete”).