Christmas in The Netherlands

It would be ridiculous now for me to write a blog entitled “Novemblur” or “Decemblur” so I am just going to write as though it has not been TWO WHOLE MONTHS since I’ve written. Then, hopefully, the guilt will slowly begin to wane…We enjoyed spending the holiday season here this year. I love seeing how different cultures celebrate holidays and The Netherlands was no exception.

Their celebration of Christmas begins with St. Martin’s Day on November 11. Abby celebrated this with her class. Regrettably, I don’t think I got a picture of her with her lantern. They sing a very cute song and receive either oranges or candy. The Dutch children do this in a similar fashion to Halloween. We saw a few children out on November 11th with their lanterns. They then take their “snoop” and share it with others.

The Saturday following St. Martin’s is the day Sinterklaas arrives. This is a huge day! As tradition goes, Sinterklaas was a bishop (St. Nicholas) born in Myra, Turkey several centuries ago. He supposedly saved some young girls by tossing gold coins into their bedroom one night to pay their father’s debt. Like Santa Claus, Sinterklaas lives forever. Sint (as he is often referred to) arrives by boat from Spain, where he keeps his residence (sounds nicer than the North Pole, doesn’t it?) With him he brings his zwarte Pieten (black Petes) and his white horses. The Petes are his helpers, akin to elves. One may be taken aback at first glance and the Dutch are often accused of being racist. However, once you actually listen to an explanation you realize the Petes are black because they are covered in soot from climbing down chimneys whilst helping Sinterklaas. They also may have darker skin because of their Moorish heritage. They are the jovial, jolly ones who give out candy and especially pepernoten, yummy, tiny gingersnap-like cookies. Again, I failed to get a picture of these…next year. Sinterklaas, on the other hand, is serene and revered as he is a bishop. One Dutch teacher explained to us she was quite offended upon her first Christmas visit to the U.S. and our comfort with hugging Santa and his ho-ho-hoing about and Mrs. Claus?... Sacrilege! Honestly, the more I’ve read, I think we’ve just adapted our traditions, and our St. Nick is the same as their Sinterklaas. I wonder how much of that is dependent upon the Dutch colonization of New Amsterdam, which later became New York. Did they bring this tradition with them to our part of the world?

Because of a soccer tournament, we didn’t get to attend the grandest of entrances into The Netherlands where he arrived in a steamboat followed by a huge parade. We did, however, go the next week when Sint arrived here in Wassenaar. We gathered with the rest of the town at the end of the canal and waited. The Petes arrived first and danced and gave the children candy and the pepernoten.


We loved seeing the Dutch children dressed up like Zwarte Pete and Sint.
They were selling balloons and had a live DJ.We finally caught sight of Sinterklaas coming but were not able to stay for the big parade. And to think, this was all a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving!After Sinterklaas arrives, the celebration continues until December 5 (his birthday), when Sinterklaas leaves a mass of gifts for good little children. They are left hidden somewhere in or near the house in a burlap sack. Children also are to put out their wooden shoes to be filled and perhaps an apple or a carrot for Sint’s horses. Here are ours in line from Emily's to Kennedy's with their treats for the horses.
Many Dutch children receive a gift each day until December 5. We decided we would honor a portion of the Dutch tradition. Abigail and Erin decorated shoes at school, too, where Sinterklaas happened to find them. Sint found our house and left some ever-popular gold coins and a chocolate initial for each child. I can’t remember the significance of the initials, but they, too are everywhere!

It was so much fun to learn about this wonderful and unique way the Dutch celebrate Sinterklaas. It was nice to have it separate from Christmas. They still celebrate Christmas, (if they’re Christian, of course!), but Sinterklaas and gifts are completely distinguishable from celebrating the birth of Christ. We hope each of you had a joyful holiday celebration.