In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas is accompanied by Zwarte Pieten “Black Peters”, who distribute candy and presents to the children on Saint Nicholas day (December 6th). Not terribly shocking. What has created the controversy though, is that Zwarte Piet is generally portrayed as a mischievous character in blackface dressed in colorful pantaloons. With exaggerated bright red lips, afro wig and blackface, the character is an uncomfortable black character. In North America and the U.K. blackface is considered offensive and even in the Netherlands where the character is beloved, there is a small but vocal anti-Zwarte Piet movement. Some find the character insensitive given the Dutch position in starting and later participation in the Atlantic slave trade.

Dutch officials have tried to alter the appearance of Zwarte Pieten in the past, replacing the blackface makeup with multicolored, rainbow face paint. However, the practice was discontinued the following year. This year, four people were arrested in the Netherlands for wearing “Zwarte Piet is racist” t-shirts.

The controversy really gained traction this year in Canada. The largest Dutch Sinterklaas celebration in Western Canada was canceled this year after vocal outcry against the inclusion of Zwarte Piet. Organizers cancelled the event – saying that Sinterklaas can’t be without Zwarte Piet. Suriname, a former Dutch colony, also stated that the character is a slap in the face to Suriname’s black community, vowing not to promote the character in the future. The history of Zwarte Piet is unclear, but it’s clear that it’s a favorite tradition in the Netherlands.

As a traveler, have you ever experienced cultural traditions that you’ve found shocking or offensive? How did you deal with it? Conversely, should a tradition be changed to be more in line with the times or is tradition tradition?

Photo Credit: Photo 1 from Flickr user zoetnet. Photo 2 from flickr user hans s. Cover photo via flickr user pasukaru76. All are licensed via a creative commons license.

The masks in the museum were incredibly diverse and colorful and are often used for religious celebrations.  Fortunately small cards described the festival associated with each mask.  Perhaps most interesting is that the masks often represent characters or symbolize human characteristics associated with the holiday.  It reminded me of Italy’s tradition of  Commedia delle Arte, where masks represent characters that have their own individual personalities. 

Many of the masks represented religious holiday festivals, some of the most lavish and decorated related to the Diablada, a famous dance from Bolivia that celebrates Virgin of Socavón.  Masked dancing in the region dates back to pre-Colombian times, however the celebrations have changed with the times and are now most often associated with Catholic saint’s days and festivals.

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IF YOU GO: Unfortunately we weren’t in the area for the famous dancing festivals.  It would have been great to check out the masks used in a parade, but alas we had to settle for a museum.  If you are interested in other festivals and holidays full of pagentry, color, music and dance, check out holidays in Dominican Republic where festivals happen all year round. 

On our trip around the world we saw discrete memorials to fallen soldiers by the side of the road in Georgia, huge memorials to those lost in war in India and even modern graffiti marking for all eternity a life lost due to conflict.  Some poignant, others grandiose,  the memorials and monuments all commemorate and celebrate the lives of those who have given it all for their country.

Many countries take a day to commemorate these lives; in the U.S, we observe the last Monday of May as Memorial Day.  There are parades, bar-b-ques, mattress and car sales, and for all the flag waving and ketchup pouring you’d hardly know at all that this holiday is a solemn one.  As a child I looked forward to the holiday as a three day weekend and my memories are of parades full of high-school bands, scouts, civic leaders and older war veterans.  As time goes on, I realize that some of those veterans are now my age, and many who have died in our recent conflicts are younger than I.  Despite the fact that I have several family members in the military, I have been fortunate enough never to have lost a love one to war.  I had no experience to draw on until this year.

Last summer in Berlin we met an Iraqi girl who had fled her homeland since the fall of Saddam.  Almost immediately I was put in a position to defend the actions of my country.  Almost immediately the military situation that had been flickering on the TV for so many years became tangible and real.   It was real.  It is real.

Whether you are in the U.S. or not today, take a second to consider the sacrifice of those who have lost their lives to war.

They are not a thing of the past, they are very real.