Sinterklaas and the Black Petes I met a charming young Dutch woman named Anka, and she regaled me with the tale of Sinterklaas. I knew that David Sedaris had written about this very subject, but I thought he was exaggerating a little for comic effect.→[More:]

No. He was right on the money:

Sinterklaas traditionally arrives each year in November by steamboat from Spain, assisted by his African 'servants' in blackface. Today however, a more politically correct explanation is given: Pete's face is said to be "black from soot" (as Pete has to climb down chimneys to deliver his gifts). Nevertheless, the tradition has been accused of being racist, and attempts have been made to introduce Gekleurde Pieten (Coloured Petes), who are coloured blue, red, etc., instead of black. This phenomenon of "Coloured Petes" was introduced nationally in 2006 in the Sinterklaasjournaal (a TV news bulletin about Sinterklaas, which runs from the end of November until December 5). The explanation given for this was that "Sinterklaas passed through a rainbow with his boat".