The Black Petes

The preparations for the celebration of Saint Nicholas' birthday on 5 December are speeding up. Every school, day-care child centre, public library (here on the picture) are inviting the old man and his "Black Petes" to entertain the kids.

Sinterklaas wears a red bishop's dress including a red mitre, rides a white horse over the rooftops and is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful Moorish dresses, dating back two centuries. These helpers are called 'Zwarte Pieten' (black Petes). Another story goes that the Petes are black because of the soot they are covered with when they go in the chimneys to bring the gifts in the kids'shoes.