At the beginning of December Saint Nicholas comes in a number of countries. In The Netherlands he is called Sinterklaas. His name day is December 6, but by then the celebrations are over. They culminate on Sinterklaasavond (December 5, St Nicholas Eve), a family occasion and.the title of a classic painting by Jan Steen.
In The Netherlands, St Nicholas is Sinterklaas, a tall man with a red cloak, a bishop's mitre, a long white beard and a curly-topped staff. He lives for most of the year in Spain, so the legend goes, but sails north by steamer every year in mid-November, miraculously arriving simultaneously in many Dutch towns on the same day. He then parades through town on his white horse, a tradition which may well have Nordic roots: the god Odin flew through the air on an eight-legged equine called Sleipnir.
More prosaically, the city of Amsterdam provides a police horse to carry the saint through town. On the parade, he is accompanied by assistants all called Zwarte Piet (Black Peter), who hand out sweets to children along the route. The event is televised, and both on and off-screen Sinterklaas is treated with the reverence owing to a bishop. After his arrival, 'Sint' retires to plan his night-time campaign - and make the occasional shopping mall appearance.
Some time during Sint's stay in the country, children set a shoe by the fire at night, with some hay or a carrot for the horse in it. Parents decide when they are allowed to do so, and if there is no fire the heating will do. While the kids are asleep, Zwarte Piet quietly slips down the chimney and fills the shoes with small presents.
But Sinterklaas can be strict, too, and if a child has been really bad, the sack that should be holding presents can also hold naughty children. Needless to say modern educators take a dim view of such rigorous ways of keeping kids in line.
Sinterklaasavond itself is a cherished family occasion. At many homes with small children, Sint and Piet call in person to admonish the kids, sing songs and give presents. Older family members have their own traditions. Giving free rein to their creativity, they disguise their gifts as personalized 'surprises' highlighting an aspect of the receiver's character or quirks. The 'surprises' are accompanied by humorous rhymes which are often quite critical.
But Sinterklaasavond invariably ends on a positive note, with plenty of eating and drinking. By then, the children are fast asleep in the knowledge that the next day, on December 6, Sinterklaas departs once more to Spain.
In The Netherlands, St Nicholas is Sinterklaas, a tall man with a red cloak, a bishop's mitre, a long white beard and a curly-topped staff. He lives for most of the year in Spain, so the legend goes, but sails north by steamer every year in mid-November, miraculously arriving simultaneously in many Dutch towns on the same day. He then parades through town on his white horse, a tradition which may well have Nordic roots: the god Odin flew through the air on an eight-legged equine called Sleipnir.
Some time during Sint's stay in the country, children set a shoe by the fire at night, with some hay or a carrot for the horse in it. Parents decide when they are allowed to do so, and if there is no fire the heating will do. While the kids are asleep, Zwarte Piet quietly slips down the chimney and fills the shoes with small presents.
