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beelikejEspecially for the US-folks on my flist; a little background information on Saint Nick
Sinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure in the Netherlands, Belgium, Aruba, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. He is the basis of the mythical holiday figure of Santa Claus in the USA.
Sinterklaas is celebrated annually on Saint Nicholas' eve (5 December) by exchanging gifts and poems. Celebrants of the holiday are traditionally given their initials in chocolate.*
The feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of Amsterdam, children and sailors.
It is often claimed that during the American War of Independence the inhabitants of New York City, a former Dutch colonial town (New Amsterdam) reinvented their Sinterklaas tradition, as Saint Nicholas was a symbol of the city's non-English past. The name Santa Claus supposedly derived from older Dutch Sinterklaas.
Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful Moorish dresses. These helpers are called 'Zwarte Pieten' (Black Petes).
*In order to use the same amount of chocolate for each letter the manufacturer varies the thickness or the depth of the grooves in the letter. This way one letter is not favoured over another, for example the W, or the M over the I or the J. It also occurs that two of a small letter (like I for Ian) come in one package to make up for its smaller size.
This is how my family has celebrated Sinterklaas the last couple of years. For the first time in 40 years I wasn't at home. Because I chose to travel to Berlin to see Panic! at the Disco;-)
Sinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure in the Netherlands, Belgium, Aruba, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. He is the basis of the mythical holiday figure of Santa Claus in the USA.
Sinterklaas is celebrated annually on Saint Nicholas' eve (5 December) by exchanging gifts and poems. Celebrants of the holiday are traditionally given their initials in chocolate.*
The feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of Amsterdam, children and sailors.
It is often claimed that during the American War of Independence the inhabitants of New York City, a former Dutch colonial town (New Amsterdam) reinvented their Sinterklaas tradition, as Saint Nicholas was a symbol of the city's non-English past. The name Santa Claus supposedly derived from older Dutch Sinterklaas.
Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful Moorish dresses. These helpers are called 'Zwarte Pieten' (Black Petes).
*In order to use the same amount of chocolate for each letter the manufacturer varies the thickness or the depth of the grooves in the letter. This way one letter is not favoured over another, for example the W, or the M over the I or the J. It also occurs that two of a small letter (like I for Ian) come in one package to make up for its smaller size.
This is how my family has celebrated Sinterklaas the last couple of years. For the first time in 40 years I wasn't at home. Because I chose to travel to Berlin to see Panic! at the Disco;-)
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Date: 2010-12-18 08:20 pm (UTC)I hope you keep me posted on travelplans and the Sinterklaasconversion efforts;)