'Zwarte Piet' or 'Black Pete' and 'Sinterklaas' or 'Saint Nicholas'.

1. IT HAS A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. Look it up. 

2. IT IS A DAY TO CELEBRATE FOR CHILDREN. Kids in the whole Netherlands wake up all happy running to their shoes to see if Saint Nicholas, Amerigo (his horse) and Petes took their drawings and candies/carrots in return for a present and 'peper- en kruidnoten'.

Can I just say, kids do not know what racism is. They love zwarte pieten because they are those kind people who return every year to give them presents. They see them as caring people who help our old man, Saint Nicholas. They see them as Saint Nicholas' best friends. 

I have NEVER met ANY dark-skinned person who felt offended by Sinterklaas. And why would they? Is the next thing to debate about that Santa isn't allowed to use elves because they are short? Makes no sense, am I right? That's exactly how people from different countries complaining about OUR national holiday sound to us.

Stop it.

You don't celebrate it, you don't understand the culture of it.  IT IS AN INNOCENT HOLIDAY, PEOPLE. AN INNOCENT HOLIDAY FOR CHILDREN. During elementary school (which is from about 4 years old until 12), every single 5th or 6th (depends on which one of the two is on a school day) of December teachers celebrate a happy thing with children that makes children feel loved. The school buys presents for everyone, so even if a child's parents refuse to celebrate the holiday, the children are still part of it. Nicholas and Petes are also everywhere in any neighborhood giving sweets and candies.

So please stop seeing it as racist, because it's not. Zwarte pieten are not used as slaves. Sinterklaas is not a horrible old man who thinks he is mighty. Stop making a big deal out of something so simple. Stop assuming and making up things. Just stop it because you clearly do not know what you're talking about. At all.

Also, a small detail: The costume Sinterklaas wears is historically pretty religious. The costume zwarte pieten wear is historically to represent high statuses.