And there was religious freedom.

Amsterdam-based primary school teacher Jan Schenkman writes the book Sint Nicolaas en zijn Knecht ("Saint Nicholas and his Servant&quot . This is the first time that a Spanish servant character is introduced into the Saint Nicholas narrative. The servant is described as a page boy or man, and is depicted as a dark person wearing clothes associated with Moors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

But it came from the Dutch.

When I first attended a Sint Niklaas celebration, I was bothered by the blackface - which is what it is. Al Jolson kinda of thing. The person who portrays ZP also wears an afro.

But most of the Dutch and Belgians I know didn't think it was offensive because it's part of their holiday celebration for children.

There's a song about Sint Niklaas coming from Spain on a steamboat with his helper, Zwarte Piet. Piet hands out candy. Sint Niklaas tells the kids about good things they did (because parents slip a note to the person playing SN.) Children read poems about their year. SN is dressed like a bishop, not the American version of Clement Moore's tale, and ZP is dressed in medieval, or so it seems, breeches, cap.

It's another one of those cultural issues - like the name of sports teams, etc. that isn't deemed offensive by those who aren't portrayed as a caricature. But I can certainly understand why it would be offensive. Like I said, the first time I saw it... I thought it was sort of offensive myself, even tho it wasn't mean as a harmful thing.

just started recently. too creepy for me. the costumes were scary.