Curacao Chirstmas (Part One)

This is our family's first Christmas season in a different country, and we are enjoying learning about how the Dutch/Antillean people celebrate Christmas.  Their celebrations in December come in two parts.  On December 5th is "Sinterklaas Dag" (Santa Claus Day).  There are some similiarities to the American Santa traditions, but the differences are definitely worth mentioning. 

First, Sinterklaas is a Bishop from Madrid, Spain.  He arrives by boat in the ports of Amersterdam (or here in Willemstad) a few weeks leading up to December 5th.  He is greeted at the port by crowds of people and a white horse, which he rides into town.  Dutch children leave a shoe by the chimney (or here where there are no fireplaces, by the front door) along with a bowl of water and a carrot for Sinterklaas' horse.  If they have been good during the year, they get sweets and a gift.  If not, they may get sent to Spain! 

The common sweet to give on Sinterklaas Dag is a chocolate letter - the initial of the person's first name.  Our dear Opa and Oma (adopted Grandpa and Grandma) here gave us all a chocolate letter!

All of this sounds like a fairly reasonable holiday celebration, not unlike many other cultures.  However, there is one thing that makes this odd for the American mind.  In fact, I was shocked.  Sinterklaas does not have "elves" to help him.  Instead, he is helped by Zwarte Pieten - literally, "Black Petes".  These are blackfaced people, dressed in a sort of Renaissance garb, who help deliver the presents, etc.  I first noticed it in the grocery store on one of the boxes of chocolates.  There, to my horror, was what we would think of as an old-time minstrel with his face painted black.  I thought, "What in the world does this have to do with Christmas?  And how can they get away with this in a predominantly African-descendant society like Curacao?!" 

It was so interesting to ask people from different backgrounds about this tradition.  Most of our friends from the Netherlands just see it as a harmless tradition that has been around for years.  Some sense the strange undertones of a white Santa with his black little helpers.  Here in Curacao, some local people showed up to the Sinterklaas arrival ceremony with faces painted red, blue, yellow, etc. - in protest of the black face.  Many Europeans think they are making too much out of nothing.  After all, the reason Piet is black is because he has been going up and down the chimneys.  But how can Antillean people sense that when there are no chimneys here?  While some protest against it (and it appears from reading online that this has been going on for quite a while and that there are many people as shocked as I was when learning about this whole tradition), most of the locals we've seen participate in it whole-heartedly!  We've seen Zwarte Pieten out and about - black-skinned locals with still blacker, painted faces - visiting shops and schools, children eagerly awaiting his arrival. 

So, I'm still not sure what to think about this...but on Sunday, the children at the orphanage (and our boys, too!) were visited by a caravan of motorcycles and on the back of one was our local friend, Tante Alva (just a saintly woman who loves the Lord and serves this community with her whole heart) dressed as Zwarte Piet (minus the black face paint)!!!  She brought a sack of gifts and passed them out, much to the kids' excitement!  Jack said later, "Why do those kids keep talking about Zwarte Piet...who is he?"  It was the first time he had picked up on something spoken entirely in Dutch! 

 

Needless to say, our Advent season is much different.  Our family focus is on preparing our hearts and waiting for the birth of our Savior King.  We set up our small Christmas tree and our nativity scenes and have been working through the Jesse Tree Advent Devotional from Ann Voskamp.  Each morning, Jack picks an ornament that corresponds with the Bible story we read that ties the whole story of God right to the birth of Jesus and His redemption of our sins.  It is beautiful and I highly recommend it.  Jack is already sensing how the Bible stories we've read before (creation, Abraham, etc.) are part of waiting for Jesus' arrival! 

As we learn about how Jesus is the best gift we could ever hope for, Jack decided that Jesus needed Christmas presents.  On the first day that our tree was up, he ran around the house collecting books and toys.  He asked for paper and tape, wrapped them up, we tied a bow and he placed them on the ground next to one of his Nativity sets.  Then he made a birthday card for Jesus.  This was entirely on his own initiative and I was so touched.  The first presents in our house this year were for Jesus!  (Of course, Jack still hopes for his own gifts, too....he is a four year old, after all!)

However you are spending the days leading up to Christmas, we pray that you are taking time to remember the miracle of Christ's birth.  That God should become a fragile, human infant in a stable - all because of His love and His glorious plan to rescue us from sin and death.  Oh, may we never loose the wonder of it all!