Dutch people, what is it like to have two Santas?

So I was browsing the internet and found out that Dutch people have two Santa’s - de Kerstman and Sinterklaas. My question is, what is it like?

Very annoying, because each year nowadays the news is all involved around getting rid of the helper of Sinterklaas, "Zwarte Piet", they consider it racist and want to completely get rid of him. So there's groups like Kick Out Zwarte Piet etc. (that also take part in the BLM protests currently) and groups that are against these groups and they all protest, even at the Sinterklaas festivities where there are a whole lot of children who should not be exposed to these kind of things. The whole news and tv are all filled with this from early November and ongoing till Sinterklaas has gone back to Spain again. Each year over and over. So yeah the festive atmosphere is kind of taking a hit.

Good old Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of the children, and many countries have some tradition of giving presents to children around his name-day (5-dec). But nowhere else are the festivities that extensive as in the Netherlands. The full 3-4 weeks between his ceremonial arrival from Spain and his name-day (and sudden back out) are a source of great fun for children and great stress for the parents, but also the other way around.

As salaction says, there is a lot of discussion about his black helpers. Radical 'Kick out Zwarte Piet' activists are opposed to people fiercely defending the tradition, and the place and time for confrontation are not always happily chosen. At the same time, it is my impression that the vast majority of the population wouldn't mind if black Pete would be any other colour (rainbow Pete), or just having traces of soot on the face (soot smear Pete - soot because the traditional story says that the helpers enter houses through the chimney to deliver presents). The tradition needs revision to remain the magic party for the children, but it will survive, I'm sure.

Because of all the attention going to Sinterklaas in early December, the Netherlands never had a strong tradition of giving presents at Christmas. This is gradually changing under pressure of globalization. But still, during the Sinterklaas period, you'll find him everywhere around, alive and all, while Father Christmas is still a pretty rare sight in the Netherlands around Christmas time.
It is quite a common pattern now that families celebrate Sinterklaas when the children are young and switch to giving presents at Christmas time when the children grow older. And returning to Sinterklaas again when grandchildren take the stage.

Santaclaus is actually the Dutch Sinterklaas celebration hijacked by Coca-Cola.

Quote: "ArnoV"At the same time, it is my impression that the vast majority of the population wouldn't mind if black Pete would be any other colour (rainbow Pete), or just having traces of soot on the face (soot smear Pete - soot because the traditional story says that the helpers enter houses through the chimney to deliver presents).

​I wouldn't mind indeed for a as you call it soot smear Pete. I would not like a rainbow Pete or a cheese Pete or a stroopwafel Pete, those are just ridiculous and do touch the tradition in my opinion.

However the anti Zwarte Piet groups do mind a soot smear Pete. They will not stop until Pete has been completely wiped out from the tradition. That is their goal and they are not willing to compromise. They cannot see pass their poor souls, the snowflake society we live in nowadays.

So in that perspective I would be thinking, why would we even offer compromises if they aren't willing to? What's bad or racist about a soot smear Pete? As you mentioned yourself, he's simply dirty, because went down the chimney!

And then on top of the you have people during the Black Lives Matter (which should be All Lives Matter if they are so against racism and discrimination) protests that calling to violence by saying they would personally kick down any Black Pete they would say in November!

To be honest nothing makes sense anymore in the world, especially our western world.

I think it`s cool when you have two Santas!