To put this whole holiday in perspective for people not privy with the happenings of the Netherlands, Sinterklaas is indeed the Dutch version of what I as an American know as Christmas. Similar to the tradition of Christmas, the religious origins and reasonings have been mostly extracted from the observance of the holiday, but there exist many people in the States that will tell you that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Lights are erected throughout the streets, festivities for families are happening and a general sense of yuletide bliss can be felt all over, especially in department stores. Make no mistake, Sinterklaas is big business. With Dutch households spending an average of €130 on presents, it amounts to well over €2 billion euros being circulated in a country the size of two New Jerseys. Merchandise, presents, food, pepernoten, costumes, Zwarte Piet blackface paint; the expenses add up quickly and it proves just how ubiquitous this holiday is and how ingrained it is within the Dutch society. This may be a reason why any approaches at changing it are looked upon unfavorably. It also serves as a constant reminder to those that find offense in a segment of Sinterklaas, as Zwarte Piet and his artificially-blackened face are literally everywhere throughout November and the first week of December…
