Belfagan were dancing at Aspatria carnival this afternoon. Lovely day for 
it. The thing that astonished several of us, though, was the group of 
youngsters dressed as negro minstrels complete with fully blacked up faces 
and fuzzy black wigs, doing a song and dance act a la Al Jolson. Anywhere 
but West Cumbria they'd probably be locked up for non-PC-ness. Is this sort 
of thing still legal?

ally

a l l y wrote:

> Belfagan were dancing at Aspatria carnival this afternoon. Lovely day for 
> it. The thing that astonished several of us, though, was the group of 
> youngsters dressed as negro minstrels complete with fully blacked up faces 
> and fuzzy black wigs, doing a song and dance act a la Al Jolson. Anywhere 
> but West Cumbria they'd probably be locked up for non-PC-ness. Is this sort 
> of thing still legal?
> 
> ally 
> 
> 

It's probably legal, (after all, Jolson was a white man with a blacked 
up face), just terribly embarrassing in this day and age.

In Holland, every Christmas, Saint Nicholas arrives on a ship from 
Spain, ready to hand out presents to the children. With him comes a crew 
of Zwaarte Pietjes (Black Peters), who are white folks in ruffs and 16th 
century hose and black curly wigs with their faces blacked,  who run 
around about the children handing out spiced biscuits called pepernoten 
and playing tricks. It's a  Dutch tradition.

There's some in this photo

http://www.sintnicolaas.org/foto/groot/tewater/DSCF6737.jpg

"Jpinny"  wrote in message 
news:MnKqe.482$Gy3.3@fe12.lga...

>
> In Holland, every Christmas, Saint Nicholas arrives on a ship from Spain, 
> ready to hand out presents to the children. With him comes a crew of 
> Zwaarte Pietjes (Black Peters), who are white folks in ruffs and 16th 
> century hose and black curly wigs with their faces blacked,  who run 
> around about the children handing out spiced biscuits called pepernoten 
> and playing tricks. It's a  Dutch tradition.
>
> There's some in this photo
>
> http://www.sintnicolaas.org/foto/groot/tewater/DSCF6737.jpg


Good heavens.

Interesting that they've even managed to black up their hands - you'd think 
it'd rub off when they play their guitars.

ally

"a l l y"  wrote in message
news:3h1362FepboaU1@individual.net...

> Belfagan were dancing at Aspatria carnival this afternoon. Lovely day for
> it. The thing that astonished several of us, though, was the group of
> youngsters dressed as negro minstrels complete with fully blacked up faces
> and fuzzy black wigs, doing a song and dance act a la Al Jolson. Anywhere
> but West Cumbria they'd probably be locked up for non-PC-ness. Is this
sort
> of thing still legal?
>
> ally


It should be. There's enough of them pretending they're white.

; Edith.

"Jpinny"  wrote in message
news:MnKqe.482$Gy3.3@fe12.lga...

> a l l y wrote:
> > Belfagan were dancing at Aspatria carnival this afternoon. Lovely day
for
> > it. The thing that astonished several of us, though, was the group of
> > youngsters dressed as negro minstrels complete with fully blacked up
faces
> > and fuzzy black wigs, doing a song and dance act a la Al Jolson.
Anywhere
> > but West Cumbria they'd probably be locked up for non-PC-ness. Is this
sort
> > of thing still legal?
> >
> > ally
> >
> >
> It's probably legal, (after all, Jolson was a white man with a blacked
> up face), just terribly embarrassing in this day and age.


I'm not embarrassed. My Mam loved him. It was a 'must' for us all to gather
in front of tele when The Black and White Minstrels were on. However, using
''whites' instead of giving those many talented 'blacks' a job, was
preposterous.

>
> In Holland, every Christmas, Saint Nicholas arrives on a ship from
> Spain, ready to hand out presents to the children. With him comes a crew
> of Zwaarte Pietjes (Black Peters), who are white folks in ruffs and 16th
> century hose and black curly wigs with their faces blacked,  who run
> around about the children handing out spiced biscuits called pepernoten
> and playing tricks. It's a  Dutch tradition.
>
> There's some in this photo
>
> http://www.sintnicolaas.org/foto/groot/tewater/DSCF6737.jpg


Pepperntter here. Tiny round ginger snaps, same recipe, perhaps a little
more pepper+ginger, delicious enema effect, eaten around Christmas time
here.

Edith.