Christmas Special

I will be leaving tomorrow for Tokyo for two weeks.  I'll be meeting up with friends, one who is studying abroad, one who is just traveling with family and two who are visiting me from LA. I’m hopeful for the trip and I’m sure I’ll have lots to say and write about when I get back, hence why first I want to wish everyone reading my blog a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years and second why I’ve updated so much in the last 2 days.  This last one is a special Christmas post, I hope you enjoy it. 

A Fukuoka Christmas

A look at what Christmas in Fukuoka looks like.

The alternative reality is… in Holland

What if I told you there was another version of the man we know as Santa Clause?  This alternative Santa Clause has a similar wardrobe, a big hat and black helpers instead of elves.  I’m not just being racist, he actually has numerous helpers called “Black Pete”.  And his name is Sinterklass! 

 Sinterklaas vs Santa Claus

Zwarte Piet vs Elf (and a Reindeer)

This is not just some copy of Santa Clause, this was the inspiration and basis for the entire idea of Santa Claus in the western world.  But there are subtle differences that really kind of blew my mind when I first learned about him from my Dutch friends.  So they celebrate Sinterklass’s arrival on December 5^th.  He is supposed to come from Spain by boat with countless helpers named “Zwarte Piet” or “Black Pete”.  In stories and television shows, the Black Pete’s are depicted as slightly imbecile and often cause the shipment of presents to be late, and Sinterklass comes and saves the day and makes sure every household in the Netherlands gets their presents on time.  There is a strange parallel to the traditions but from an American perspective I can’t help but feel it sounds kind of racist… just kind of.  But then my Dutch friends explained it that they don’t really see race as the issue and even their black friends don’t seem to be bothered by it at all, it’s just tradition.  I guess in a way elves make fun of midgets just as much and nobody ever really makes a big deal out of that.  Holland actually has quite an amazingly rich history because it has always been a country open to ideas and trade.  In fact, The Netherlands was one of the few countries that exclusive trade with Japan in ancient times because they were one of the few western countries that did not impose religion along with trading.  Some older Japanese feel a bond to the Dutch and some very old generations even speak a little Dutch, or so I am told.  Now you know a little more, I hope I’ve been able to give you the gift of knowledge!  Merry Christmas everybody, see you when I get back in 2 weeks, sayonara!