History Important

What was important in the Middle Ages:

Important for a man in the Middle Ages was:

- Eating and drinking, take care of staying alive

- having children, a good pension and offspring

- and very important for him was his believe and going to heaven.

2. By walking around in a sackcloth. This was yellow and made of rough fabric. For instance in monasterys this was also done for a long time. Think about the saying: Getting the Sack: which means nothing more than being fired(because of the mistakes you made). Nowadays people are fired because there's not enough work, but back then it was different. Santa is still wearing the sack but in America people forgot everything else like the ashes,etc.

3. By hitting yourself with a rod. In Holland you don't see any people anymore who do this in the streat. But on t.v. you might see people in a group doing this and walking around like that. This is to show you want to be good and do well. Zwarte Piet is only walking around with it. Not really using it. 

4. You can wear a penancechain. In the monastrys this was done a long time . Till the 19th century. But in the case of Zwarte Piet this is more a thing from the past which you can see in the film from Arnold Jan Scheer. On a single picture you can see this but chains were just used to make some noise with. In other countries you see this too in Winterfestivals. So it might have a totally different meaning in the old days.

Of course in the story of Sinterklaas this is not a thing for real. And Zwarte Piet is never wearing them of course.