Its hard to believe that we have been here 5 months already. Winter has set in, with its chilly temperatures, 30-40 degrees most days. Some days are wonderfully sunny and crisp and others drab and overcast. No snow yet, but our neighbor tells us that we will eventually have some. He also tells us that if we get 3 or 4 days of below freezing weather, the canals will eventually freeze as well. And when they do, all the ice skates come out. Its a wonderful way to get around town if the weather cooperates: much faster than walking, and more fun than riding the bike.
All the Christmas lights are up around town, and the Christmas tree lots are springing up. The Dutch really know how to celebrate Christmas right- they have four days, not just one like us. The season starts to ramp up soon after St. Maarten’s Day (November 5), which is the day that children go door to door and get candy treats in return for singing St. Maarten songs. I guess this makes up for the Dutch Halloween, which does not include “trick or treating”.
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| Dutch Christmas Parade |
Anyway, soon after (around the time of our Thanksgiving), the excitement (and publicity) starts to build for the annual Christmas parade, when “Sinter Klaas”, which is short for “Sint Nicolaas” (St. Nicholas or Santa Claus to us) comes to town. The Christmas parade is a real community event (as well as being a TV event) and the whole town, or at least the ones with young kids, turns out. However, in true Dutch fashion, the parade does not come down main street, it comes down the main canal, by boat. The sides of the canal are lined with crowds of cheering kids while Sinter Klaas and his entourage float through downtown, waiving from the boats.
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| Sinter Klaas |
The original St Nicholas was a catholic bishop, and here Sinter Klaas still looks very much like that, with a pointed hat and long staff curled at the top. After disembarking the boat, he makes his way through the old town to the 17th Century "Academy Building", where he addresses the crowd from the balcony, looking very much like the Pope at Vatican Square, on a much smaller scale, of course. He is accompanied by a platoon of helpers, called “Zwarte Pieten” (Black Petes), who pass out small christmas cookies (“pepernoten”) and play traditional christmas songs. Sinter Klaas leads the crowd, which enthusiastically joins in the lively songs, and then regales the kids with stories about his travels and adventures, and promises of what will happen over the Christmas season.
True to the Dutch character, Sinter Klaas is much more practical than his American cousin: he lives in Spain in the off season, not the North Pole. Probably hangs out at a Mediterranean beach resort drinking Margaritas with umbrellas in them. Anyway, the Spanish connection probably comes from the fact that traditionally he gave the young kids oranges, which only came from Spain way back when. His helpers, the “Zwarte Pieten”, all appear in black face and colorful costumes. Traditionally, this was based on the Moorish or African servant that the original St. Nicholas had, but now the more politically correct explanation given to the kids is that the "Piets" are all black from chimney soot, from making so many trips up and down through the chimneys. This would NEVER work in the US, so we just have elves instead.
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| Sinter Klaas entertains the crowd |
Dutch kids don’t have to wait for the 25th to open presents, like American kids. Christmas is still celebrated for two days on the 24th and 25th, but this is a more quiet time, reserved for family gatherings and big meals. For kids, the climax comes on December 5, which is “Sinterklaasavond” (Santa Claus Eve). This is the night when Santa comes to the houses and delivers presents to the kids. I think the Dutch Parent Lobby was responsible for this tradition, which saves a lot of dealing with “Can we open the presents NOW PLEEEEEEEASE????”
The Dutch Santa Claus doesn’t arrive in the middle of the night, like the impractical American one. He mysteriously arrives before the kids go to bed, either by knocking on the door and leaving a sack with presents, then disappearing before they answer the door, or leaving a note out for the kids somewhere in the house telling them where the presents are hidden. Similar to their American cousins, before going to bed, Dutch kids put a shoe in front of the fireplace for Sinter Klaas to leave a treat in (typically a chocolate “S”), and they may in return leave a treat for Sinter as well, and maybe a carrot or an apple for his horse (no reindeers in Spain, remember?). By the next day, Sinter Klaas has gone back to Spain, the Christmas trees go up, and things quiet down.
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| "Zwarte Pieten" helpers |
Adults may exchange gifts as well, but they are more likely to be personal, home made, or even gag gifts. Christmas in Holland does not involve the super-charged extravagant gift frenzy that it has taken on in the US. Some big retail companies here have tried to import the frantic consumer orgy related to Christmas shopping in the US, but so far, the practical Dutch have resisted. Lets hope they can continue to hold out and preserve the homey and simple traditions they have enjoyed for generations.
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| Veronica and a Musical "Piet" |
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| Merry Christmas to all... |
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| They are quite friendly, even with older kids. |
