The Netherlands Celebrates Christmas In Blackface

    In the Dutch culture, Saint Nicholas has a helper named "Zwarte Piet," or Black Pete, and every Christmas the Dutch put on blackface and dress up like him.

    Ryan Broderick
    by Ryan Broderick

    BuzzFeed News Reporter

    Margriet Faber / AP
    Margriet Faber / AP
    Margriet Faber / AP
    Margriet Faber / AP
    Margriet Faber / AP
    Margriet Faber / AP
    Margriet Faber / AP
    Margriet Faber / AP
    Margriet Faber / AP

    A quick explanation of Black Pete:

    In the folklore and legends of the Netherlands and Belgium, Zwarte Piet (meaning Black Pete) is a companion of Saint Nicholas whose yearly feast in the Netherlands is usually celebrated on the evening of 5 December (Sinterklaas-avond, that is, St. Nicholas Eve) and 6 December in Belgium, when they distribute sweets and presents to all good children.