Talking Dutch: Santa’s ancestor
Over the last couple of weeks, you must have noticed the sudden presence of a bearded bishop in shop windows across the country, often in the company of his dark-skinned friends.
Time to draw up your list for Sinterklaas
It is Sinterklaas, Santa Claus’ ancestor, and his big day is coming up. He arrived in Antwerp last week, as is the tradition, by steamboat from Spain, where he lives, to the delight and hysteria of thousands of children who welcomed him by singing traditional Sinterklaasliedjes, Sinterklaas songs.
“Zie ginds komt de stoomboot, uit Spanje weer aan. Hij brengt ons Sint-Nicolaas, ik zie hem al staan.”
Song lyrics really shouldn’t be translated, but for the sake of the column: “Look there comes the steamboat, from Spain once again. It brings us Saint- Nicholas, I see him already.” (Except in Dutch, it rhymes.)
The singing of songs is an important feature of Sinterklaas folklore tradition that goes back as far as the 15th century. It is meant to lure forth de goede oude Sint, the good old Saint, who jumps over rooftops on his white horse on the night before his day, 6 December, to bring gifts, oranges and candy to the good kids – and stuff the bad ones into his bag.
Not to worry, Sinterklaas said last week that there are no bad kids in Flanders this year. (Something I find hard to believe, by the way.)
Kids grow more impatient by the day, drawing up the ever-soimportant verlanglijstjes, wish lists, until they finally, before they go to bed, place their shoe at the fireplace – the gifts arrive by chimney – and a carrot for the horse.
Sinterklaas Kapoentje, gooi wat in m’n schoentje. Gooi wat in m’n laarsje, dank u Sinterklaasje!
The lucky contender no older than 12 who knows the translation gets a prize – from me, not from Sinterklaas.
Grown-ups, meanwhile, have grown increasingly uncomfortable with the role of the dark-skinned helper, Zwarte Piet, Black Peter. People from abroad are usually astonished and often offended to see such blatant blackface, a popular form of theatre in early 20th-century America that would have a white man paint his face and act silly. It is now considered extremely racist.
There is no doubt that historically, Zwarte Piet represented an African helper, some say slave. Many songs still refer to him as the servant.
Until not very long ago, I can still remember, he used to talk funny and carry a rod for whipping. Kids were terrified of him.
Today, however, he is cast as a friendly assistant, a happy nurse to the ever-forgetful Sinterklaas. His blackness is now attributed to the fact that he goes up and down the chimney. Kids, in any case, often like him more than they do the more intimidating Sinterklaas.
And when it’s all over, they sing: Dag Sinterklaasje, daag, daag, daag, daag, Zwarte Piet!
