Christmas Dress Up Done the Dutch Way (30 pics)

In traditional Dutch folklore, St. Nicholas has a servant called Zwarte Piet or “Black Piet”. For Sinterklaas (the St Nicholas feast day), which takes place on 5 December, many people choose to dress up as Zwart Piet as the character is a beloved part of the Netherlands’ holiday tradition. According to tales, “Black Piet” gets his complexion from being either Spanish Moor or as a result of getting covered in soot while going down a chimney. Here are some of the Instagrams of this week’s celebrations!