The first Saturday after November 11th, the red-and-white-clad Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) arrive with great fanfare to several Dutch cities. In Nijmegen, the white-bearded legend makes his entrance into the city riding his white horse through the city center. After years of protest against the traditional form of Zwarte Piet or Black Pete, a St Nicholas’ helper who usually appears as a blackface character with large gold earrings and exaggerated lips, last year the organization decided change this look, and introduced new helpers without blackface makeup, but still wearing Afro black wigs.
