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Sinterklaas

In Czech the evening is referred to as Mikulas (with a few accents that my keyboard doesn't have).

Mik, and Angel and the Devil go and visit all the family's houses in the neighbourhood, act up with a bit of a routine in front of the kids, then give the kids presents that the parents had given them beforehand. The parents then give the three of them something to drink (usually a beer or Fernet or Becherovka).

I played the devil in one of these one year - my job was to frighten the kids by leering, sticking my tongue out and speaking English at them (so pretty normal behaviour, really:D) By the end of the evening we were pretty bladdered. One interesting thing about the whole affair was that the Gypsy families (who are generally despised by nearly all Czechs) were by far the most generous with the booze for us.
 
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Santa Claus doesn't even have cool black helpers! (no, this is not racist. They are called "Zwarte Pieten" - "Black Petes" I guess)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas

Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful outfits, modelled after 16th century Spanish clothing. These helpers are called Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes). During the Middle Ages, Zwarte Piet was a name for the devil. Having triumphed over evil, it was said that on Saint Nicholas' eve, the devil was shackled and made his slave. Although the character of Black Pete later came to acquire racial connotations, his origins were in the devil figure. This racialization is reflected in the reworking of the characters' mythos. From about 1850, Pete was said to be an imported African servant of Saint Nicholas. 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
 
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Sinterklaas

Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful outfits, modelled after 16th century Spanish clothing. These helpers are called Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes). During the Middle Ages, Zwarte Piet was a name for the devil. Having triumphed over evil, it was said that on Saint Nicholas' eve, the devil was shackled and made his slave. Although the character of Black Pete later came to acquire racial connotations, his origins were in the devil figure. This racialization is reflected in the reworking of the characters' mythos. From about 1850, Pete was said to be an imported African servant of Saint Nicholas. 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


Do the black-face and 16th century Spanish clothing refer to the Moors?
 
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