Sinterklaas
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Sinterklaas is a holiday tradition in the Netherlands and Belgium, celebrated every year on Saint Nicholas' eve December 5 or, in some parts of Belgium, the morning of December 6. The feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children.
In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' eve, not Christmas eve, is the occasion for gift-giving. The evening of December 5 is called pakjesavond ("evening of packages"). Traditionally, presents are ingeniously wrapped, and are therefore called surprises. Also, each present is accompanied by a poem from Saint Nicholas.
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[edit] Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas has a long white beard, wears a red bishop's dress, including a red mitre, and holds a long gold coloured staff with a fancy curled top in his hand (a crosier). He rides a white horse, called Amerigo or Slechtweervandaag ("Badweathertoday") over the rooftops. 'Sinterklaas' carries a big book with all the children's names in it, which states whether they have been good or naughty in the past year.
[edit] Zwarte Piet
Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful outfits, dating back two centuries. These helpers are called Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes). During the Middle Ages, Zwarte Piet was a name for the devil. Having triumphed over evil, it was said that on Saint Nicholas eve the devil was shackled and made his slave. Although the character of Black Pete later came to acquire racial connotations, his origins were in the devil figure. This racialization is reflected in the reworking of the characters' mythos. From about 1850, Pete was said to be an imported African servant of Saint Nicholas. Today however, a more politically correct explanation is given, that Pete's face is "black from soot" (as Pete has to climb through chimneys to deliver his gifts). Nevertheless, the tradition has been accused of being racist, and attempts have been made to introduce Gekleurde Pieten (Coloured Petes), who are coloured blue, red, etc, instead of black.
Traditionally Saint Nicholas only had one helper, whose name varied wildly. "Piet(er)" the name in use now can be traced back to a book from 1891.<ref name ="KB">kinderboekenwereld.nl</ref>. The idea that Sinterklaas has not one but many helpers was introduced by Canadian soldiers who had liberated the Netherlands during World War II and helped organise the first post-war Sinterklaas celebration.
[edit] Arrival
Sinterklaas traditionally arrives each year in November by steamboat from Spain (which is odd as he lives in a palace in Madrid - a city without a port!), and is then paraded through the streets, welcomed by cheering and singing children. His Zwarte Piet helpers throw candy and small, round ginger bread-like cookies, kruidnoten or pepernoten, into the crowd. The children welcome him by singing traditional Sinterklaas songs. Sinterklaas also visits schools, hospitals and shopping malls.
[edit] Shoe
Traditionally, in the weeks between his arrival and the 5th of December, before going to bed, children put their shoes next to the chimney of the coal fired stove or fireplace, with a carrot or some hay in it "for Sinterklaas's horse", sing a 'Sinterklaas' song, and will find some candy in their shoes the next day, supposedly thrown down the chimney by a Zwarte Piet or Sinterklaas himself. However, with the advent of central heating children put their shoes near the boiler or even just next to the front door.
Typical Sinterklaas candy is the first letter of the child's name made out of chocolate, chocolate coins, a figurine of Sinterklaas made out of chocolate and wrapped in painted aluminium foil, and coloured marzipan shaped into fruit, an animal or some other object.
Children are told that Black Pete enters the house through the chimney, which also explains his black face and hands, and would leave a bundle of sticks or a small bag with salt in the shoe instead of candy when the child had been bad.
Children are also told that in the worst case they would be put in the gunny sack in which Black Pete carries the presents, and be taken back to Spain, where Sinterklaas is said to spend the rest of the year. This practice however has been condemned by Sinterklaas in his more recent television appearances as something of the past.
[edit] Pakjesavond
Traditionally Saint Nicholas brings his gifts at night. In The Netherlands adults started to give each other presents on the evening of the 5th; then older children were included and today in that country even the youngest take part in Sinterklaasavond or Pakjesavond: children at home sing 'Sinterklaas' songs and suddenly somebody will knock on the door very loudly, and when they go to the door a gunny sack full of presents is found on the doorstep. Alternatively - some improvisation is often called for - the parents 'hear a sound coming from the attic' and then the bag with presents is 'found' there. Some parents manage to "convince" Sinterklaas to come to their home personally.
Presents are often accompanied by a simple poem, saying something about the child or with a hint to the nature of the present.
But the presents may be too big or too many, so they have to be sneaked into the house while the kids are distracted.
[edit] References
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[edit] See also
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