Happy Sinterklaas! The Feast of Sinterklaas (a contraction of St Nicholas) is celebrated all across the Netherlands, and also in Belgium, on the 5th and 6th December. St Nicholas was the patron saint of children. While he has a similar appearance to that of Santa Claus (who is derived from Sinterklaas) with his red robes and fluffy white beard, his attire reflects St Nicholas’ historic occupation as the Bishop of Myra (now in modern-day Turkey) in the 4th century, so he wears a bishop’s mitre and holds a crosier.
Like Santa, he knows which children have been naughty or nice, as he has all that information recorded in a big red book. Traditionally, nice children receive presents but naughty children were packed up in a sack and taken to Spain. Not-quite-naughty-but-not-quite-nice-enough children might have received a bundle of birch twigs or a lump of coal instead of presents in the past. But that doesn’t happen so much these days…
Festivities connected with Sinterklaas start in mid-November (on a Saturday, three weeks before the 5th December) when he ‘arrives’ on a boat from Spain – each time to a different port – and parades through the city on a white horse. Thousands of people turn out so see him and the event is televised. Sinterklaas’s helper is known as Zwarte Piet (Black Peter), in fact, multiple Pieten also join the parade and carry bags to throw sweets and other treats to children in the crowd. There has been some debate over the depiction of Piet in recent years in the Netherlands and he is Schoorsteenpiet (Chimney Pete), from the soot in the chimneys, in many cities these days.
Although there is an official arrival, most Dutch cities have a Sinterklaas parade. During the weeks that Sinterklaas is in the Netherlands tradition dictates that he rides over the rooftops and children put out a shoe with a treat for the horse, such as a carrot or sugar cube, by the chimney (or the radiator if there isn’t an open fire in the house). During the night Piet climbs down the ‘chimney’, takes the horse’s treat and replaces it with a present.
The 5th December is the day that Dutch people give each other gifts, rather than on Christmas Day, which is usually a time for a quiet family celebration. Known as pakjesavond after the Dutch word for present, the family will sit together and hear a knock at the door. Children will open the door to find a bag of presents for them. Older children and adults give gifts and also have a custom of writing irreverent poems to family and friends.
Happy Sinterklaas Sweets And Treats
Traditional sweets are pepernoten (mini biscuits), speculaas (spiced biscuits), marsepein (marzipan).
Pepernoten are little spiced biscuits made from rye flour and sugar with anise, cinnamon, and clove flavourings. Sometimes they are coated in chocolate.
Dutch marzipan is awesome – it is often beautifully crafted in a variety of guises: marzipan fruits, a packet of pigs and even chips, presented Dutch-style, with (sugar) ‘salt’ and (white chocolate) ‘mayonnaise’.
Best of all are the chocolate letters associated with Sinterklaas – it’s a massive bar of chocolate in the shape of the first letter of your name. You don’t have to worry if your name begins with an ‘I’ instead of an ‘W’ – you get the same amount of chocolate!
Colin is half-Dutch and has long enjoyed the tradition of Sinterklaas. And, no matter how old you are, somehow if Sinterklaas can post you a chocolate letter, your day is guaranteed to be filled with joy.
PS – Thanks, Mum!
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My Dutch friends tell me a lot about Sinterklass aprades and have even been in one thrmslves. It’s so interestig to read about traditions like these that are so different to what we have in the UK even though the Netherlands is so near to us.
I once went to Myra when in Turkey to visit St Nicolas’s site – it’s quite small and insignificant but it had to be done.
The sweets look delicious – lol, love the chips and mayonaise ones (which I’ve had in the Netherlands and love) and to receive a whole letter of chocolate would be a dream … note to self – must become more Dutch!
Becoming more Dutch is most definitely a good thing! You’re right, it is interesting how close we are geographically and yet have different traditions. We are lucky – we get the best of both worlds!
Nice tradition. Love the chocolate and marzipan treats.
It is a lovely tradition. And the treats are yummy!
Fun read! I always enjoy seeing how different cultures celebrates Christmas. I wish marzipan were a thing in America; it sounds and looks quite good.
Thank you! Marzipan is my absolute favourite. Hope you get a chance to try it one day. I love how you can be so creative with it.
What wonderful traditions! (perhaps excluding the sending children off to Spain in sacks bit – but hey, what would religions be without a bit of fear-mongering 😉 ). I love the chocolate letter part most, especially that consideration is taken to what someone’s first initial is, with regard to everyone getting an equal amount. This is a lovely read, thank you!
It is such a lovely tradition. And the chocolate letters are very yummy too!
I love seeing and reading about the different traditions and food from other countries. This sounds like a very exciting and fun tradition to partake in!
Thank you! Traditions involving lots of chocolate are amongst the best!