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In the Netherlands and Flanders, Zwarte Piet (meaning Black Pete(r)) is a companion of Saint Nicholas (Dutch "Sinterklaas") whose yearly feast in the Netherlands is 5 December and 6 December in Flanders, when they distribute presents to all (good) children.
Zwarte Piet has counterparts in the folklore of other western cultures (including the Elfs aiding Santa Claus, a modern American composite of the Saint and Father Christmas) and those are known by many names, among them: Rumpelklas, Buzebergt and Hans Muff. The character of Zwarte Piet only makes an appearance in the weeks before Saint Nicholas' feast, first when the saint is welcomed with a parade as he arrives in the country ("in the Netherlands by steam boat, from Spain"), and is mainly href = "http://www.experiencefestival.com/5_december">5 December, 6 December, Benelux, Blackface, Christmas, Companions of Saint Nicholas, Elfs, European, Father Christmas, Flanders, Hugin and Munin, Knecht Ruprecht, Menander, Netherlands, Odin,
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Zwarte Piet", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page |
