Growing up in The Netherlands, I eagerly awaited the arrival of Sinterklaas mid-November every year. Arriving by steamboat, the Dutch equivalent of Santa Claus sits on his white horse as his “helpers” hand out sweets to the excited crowd. 
 
 Sounds harmless enough, right? But, here’s the thing – Santa’s servants are white people, blacked up. They are dressed like minstrels, with blacked-up faces, big bright red lips, an afro wig and gold hoop earrings. 
 
 Like most of my peers, I grew up thinking nothing of it. It was only when I was confronted with an image of a golliwog during a seminar on racism at university in the UK that I began to rethink this tradition. 
 
 Black Pete, also known as “Zwarte Piet” to the locals, has been Santa’s trusted helper for hundreds of years. He is said to obtain his black skin colour through climbing down dirty chimneys to deliver presents. But traditional songs, still sung today, have a disturbing undertone. Lyrics include: “…even though I'm black as coal I mean well…” and “Saint Nicolas, enter with your black servant.” 
 
 While the debate around Black Pete certainly isn’t new, it gained a new level of exposure late last year after an official complaint by UN investigators. But the Dutch government seems unwilling to get involved. 
 
 Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte even stated that “Black Pete is black, there is little we can change about that”. In November 2013, over 2 million Dutch nationals signed a petition on Facebook, stating that Black Pete should remain black. This suggests that the Dutch might not be as progressive as they would like to think. 
 
 Black Pete’s critics aren’t backing down, so last week the Dutch Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage introduced an updated version to appease them. The servant’s curly hair has become straight, his earrings have been removed and his lipstick is slightly less red. But both sides are unhappy with the new Black Pete. Many people don’t want him altered at all, while the other side argues that the board has missed the point completely – after all, Black Pete’s skin colour remains unchanged. 
 
 Black Pete’s opponents put forward their own suggestion, in which Pete sports blue skin and pink hair. Their option wasn’t taken into consideration by the Centre. 
 
 Demonstrators hold signs reading 'Black Pete is Rascism' and 'Free Black Pete' during a demonstration against Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) in Amsterdam 
 
 My Dutch friends seem largely indifferent. “It’s tradition!”, they shout. But this argument shows their ignorance towards the extensive colonial background of The Netherlands. 
 
 For hundreds of years, the Dutch were one of the world’s biggest slave traders, shipping and exploiting slaves around the globe to help grow the Dutch Empire. To this day, Black Pete continues to perpetuate the racist stereotypes that formed a large part of this appalling culture. 
 
 Unlike the golliwog in the UK, Black Pete’s disturbing connotations don’t seem to be recognised by most Dutch people. But this is beginning to change. Now that the traditional festivity has been thrust into a global limelight, the political and historical context of Black Pete can no longer be ignored. 
 
 The Dutch need to put their emotions aside to see the broader picture. Some say that racism won’t disappear overnight by changing Black Pete’s skin colour. But it’s a step in the right direction. By recognising Black Pete’s sinister background, the Dutch will stand united behind those who feel victimised by the backwards caricature. And that unity will endure far longer than a few weeks of football. ||||| AMSTERDAM (AP) — An Amsterdam court ruled Thursday that the traditional figure known as Black Pete — the sidekick to the Dutch equivalent of Santa Claus — is a negative stereotype of black people and the city must rethink its involvement in holiday celebrations involving him. 
 
 FILE - In this Nov. 17, 2013 file photo people line the road to watch the arrival of Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of Santa Claus, center, and his blackface sidekick "Zwarte Piet", or Black Pete, in... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Nov. 17, 2013 file photo a "Zwarte Piet", or Black Pete, the blackface sidekick of the Dutch version of Santa Claus, takes part in a parade in Amsterdam. On Thursday, July 3, 2014, an Amsterdam... (Associated Press) 
 
 Debate over Zwarte Piet has raged in the Netherlands in recent years. 
 
 Black Pete is usually portrayed by white people in blackface makeup, with thick red lips and a frizzy Afro hairstyle. Opponents say that's a racist caricature. Most Dutch people — around 80 percent of whom are white — are fiercely loyal to their holiday tradition, saying he is a harmless fantasy figure and no insult is intended. 
 
 The court said Thursday that Black Pete's appearance, in combination with the fact that he is often portrayed as dumb and servile, makes it "a negative stereotype of black people." 
 
 It also cited a publication by the country's national human rights commission this week that found that white Dutch leaders frequently react with "irritation and dismissal" when questions of racism are raised, even though workplace discrimination is well documented in the Netherlands. 
 
 The Amsterdam District Court ordered the city to re-examine its decision to grant a permit for one part of the annual winter festival attended by thousands of children: the arrival of St. Nicholas, or "Sinterklaas." 
 
 Adults dress up to play the Dutch version of the story, with St. Nicholas arriving by steamboat from Spain in November, accompanied by a flotilla of boats packed with Black Petes. 
 
 The kindly St. Nicholas rides a white horse accompanied by the clowning Petes, who hand out cookies. Festivities conclude later with a night of gift giving on Dec. 5. 
 
 Amsterdam has begun discussing possible solutions, including using different colors of face paint for Pete, or merely smudging his cheeks with soot. ||||| While much of Europe seems understandably concerned about Donald Trump’s “America First” stance, the Dutch are happy to find a middle ground: “The Netherlands Second.” 
 
 In the clip below from satirical news show Zondag met Lubach (Sunday with Lubach, hosted by Arjen Lubach), The Netherlands rolls out the yuge red carpet for Trump with narration inspired by the president’s own distinctive delivery style. 
 
 While there are plenty of jabs at Trump and his policies, the clip also pokes some fun at The Netherlands itself (not to mention the Spanish, Danish, Germans and a few others). It’s definitely worth a watch: ||||| "We totally understand it's going to be America First — But can we just say 'The Netherlands Second?'" 
 
 This is the Dutch plan for Trump's presidency. 
 
 The video is a spoof message by news satire show Zondag met Lubach to officially introduce Holland to Trump "in a way that will probably appeal to him the most". 
 
 "We speak Dutch. It's the best language in all of Europe. We've got all the best words. All the other languages? Failed. Danish? Total disaster," a voiceover says, mimicking Trump's cadence. 
 
 "German is not even a real language."
– The Dutch: Making Satire Videos Great Again. A video by comedy show Zondag met Lubach introducing President Donald Trump to the Netherlands racked up more than a million hits in its first day online, the Telegraph reports. Since Trump made it clear in his inaugural speech that he intends to put America first, the narrator of the video—who does a spot-on Trump impression—has one small request: Put the Netherlands second? In order to sell Trump on the idea, he lists some of the country's best attributes. For example, the Afsluitdijk is right up Trump's alley: It's a massive wall that, in the narrator's view, "we built to protect us from all the water from Mexico." "This Dutch video on Trump has gone viral because, well, just watch it," urges Mashable. Another choice line: "We've got Ponypark Slagharen, which has got to be the best ponypark in the world," the narrator says over footage of tourists romping with ponies at an amusement park. "It's true. They're the best ponies, they are. You can ride them, you can date them, you can grab 'em by the pony. It's fantastic." Adweek calls the video "hilarious," noting that the Netherlands itself isn't left unscathed by the satire. The narrator points out, for example, the country's Christmas "Black Pete" tradition, which, as the Washington Post explained last year, sees participants don blackface in order to portray Black Pete, a dark-skinned assistant to Saint Nicholas. "It's the most offensive, the most racist thing you've ever seen," the narrator says. "You'll love it. It's great."