White faces and black masks: The Dutch Sinterklaas tradition – A colonial hangover or a children’s tradition meant for everyone?

Abstract: Open-minded attitudes and an international environment are two terms that describe Amsterdam and the Netherlands well. Yet, in contradiction, the Sinterklaas tradition and, especially, the ritual of dressing up as Zwarte Piet takes annually place in the Dutch society. The aggressively debated subject whether Zwarte Piet is racist has divided opinions; some view Zwarte Piet as offensive, while others think of him as completely harmless. Although, the increasingly challenging opinions and protesting by Afro-Dutch individuals has resulted in that celebrating and Zwarte Piet isn’t anything self-evident anymore. The ongoing Zwarte Piet debate is an inspiration source for this thesis as it aims to explore how the polarized opinions about how the character can be understood and what happens when the two opposite opinions collide? The empirical data is gathered through a semi-structured interview, a group interview and participant observation. The theoretical framework used to analyze the data is Victor Turner’s concept: multivocality and critical race and whiteness theory. By analyzing how individuals both experience and celebrate the ritual of Zwarte Piet, it becomes possible to further explore how or why the tradition can be considered racist or harmless. What happens when the two opinions collide and what effect does it have on the Dutch society? Ultimately, this project will contribute to a larger discussion about how modern-day racism in the Netherlands as well as in Europe is understood. It will also work as a reference point for the ongoing societal debate regarding questions whether the tradition of Zwarte Piet should continue or not.