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Sint Nicholaskerk is the most seen and at the same time overlooked church in Amsterdam as well as being one its most recent constructions, no one can miss this iconic structure upon arrival to the city walking from Centraal Station your eye is immediately drawn to it at 58 m in height it towers over the city skyline.
This Roman Catholic Church was designed by Architect Adrianus Bleijs and is a nod to the past combining elements of neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance styles, completed in 1887 it was made a minor Basilica in 2012.
The church is dedicated to the 4th century charitable patron saint of children that became our Santa Claus as well as the patron saint of sailors and prostitutes, another winning combination.
In the Netherlands Santa Claus is known as Sinterklaas and a feast has been celebrated for over 700 years in his name and adopted in the early part of 20th century the tradition of leaving small gifts in children’s shoes was practiced on Dec 6th which has evolved now to become a Dec 5th evening tradition of gathering of family and friends to exchange gifts and laughter.
While Dutch Sinterklaas celebrations are mainly for the children its adult component is an annual grievance poem written to the recipient that must rhyme and be read out loud by the subject at the evening party all in good fun but beware you may get as good as you give.
I took this on Sept 10th, 2017 with my D750 and Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens at 58mm 15 sec f/16 ISO100 processed in LR, PS +Lumenzia, Topaz , Luminar and DXO
Disclaimer: My style is a study of romantic realism as well as a work in progress
An other imaginary world ;-))
This "art-work", made by a teacher of an elementary school, is composed of several layers of colorful translucent paper, except for the two drawn figures.
Sticked to a window and the daylight or sun, if you are lucky, will revel this wonderful scene, where the 'Zwarte Piet' ("Black Pete") is looking out of the window or practicing how to clim through the chimney.
I think a lot of people will celebrate this evening 'Pakjesavond' ("gifts evening", or literally "packages evening") or Sinterklaasavond ("Sinterklaas evening"). So if you do, enjoy it and have fun ;-))
Here below some information from WiKi about this phenomenon "Sinterklaas" and "Pakjesavond".
"The festivities traditionally begin each year in mid-November (the first Saturday after 11 November), when Sinterklaas "arrives" by a steamboat at a designated seaside town, supposedly from Spain.
'Sinterklaas' is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children.
The feast of Sinterklaas celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas on 6 December. The feast is celebrated annually with the giving of gifts on St. Nicholas' Eve (5 December) in the Netherlands.
Sinterklaas is assisted by many 'Zwarte Piet' ("Black Pete"), helpers with black faces in colorful Moorish dress.
Traditionally Zwarte Piet's face is said to be black because he is a Moor from Spain. Today, some prefer to say that his face is blackened with soot because he has to climb through chimneys to deliver gifts for Sinterklaas.
The figure of Zwarte Piet is considered by some to be racist. Accordingly, the traditions surrounding the holiday of Sinterklaas have been the subject of numerous editorials, debates, documentaries, protests and even violent clashes at festivals.
Some large cities and television channels now only display Zwarte Piet characters with some soot marks on the face rather than full blackface, so-called 'roetveegpieten' or 'schoorsteenpieten' ("chimney Petes").
Nevertheless, both Zwarte Piet and the holiday remain popular in the Netherlands.
In a 2013 survey, 92% of the Dutch public did not perceive 'Zwarte Pie't as racist or associate him with slavery, and 91% were opposed to altering the character's appearance.
In a similar survey in 2018, 88% of the Dutch public did not perceive 'Zwarte Piet' as racist, and 54% were happy with the character's modernized appearance (a mix of roetveegpieten and blackface).
On the evening of 5 December, parents, family, friends or acquaintences pretend to act on behalf of "Sinterklaas", or his helpers, and fool the children into thinking that "Sinterklaas" has really given them presents. This may be done through a note that is "found", explaining where the presents are hidden, as though Zwarte Piet visited them and left a burlap sack of presents with them. Sometimes a neighbor will knock on the door (pretending to be a Zwarte Piet) and leave the sack outside for the children to retrieve; this varies per family. When the presents arrive, the living room is decked out with them, much as on Christmas Day in English-speaking countries. On 6 December "Sinterklaas" departs without any ado, and all festivities are over.
In the Southern Netherlands and Belgium, most children have to wait until the morning of 6 December to receive their gifts, and 'Sinterklaas' is seen as a festivity almost exclusively for children. The shoes are filled with a poem or wish list for 'Sinterklaas' and carrots, hay or sugar cubes for the horse on the evening of the fifth and in Belgium often a bottle of beer for Zwarte Piet and a cup of coffee for Sinterklaas are placed next to them. Also in some areas, when it is time for children to give up their pacifier, they place it into his or her shoe ("safekeeping by Sinterklaas") and it is replaced with chocolate the next morning.
The present is often creatively disguised by being packaged in a humorous, unusual or personalised way. This is called a surprise (from the French ).
Poems from Sinterklaas usually accompany gifts, bearing a personal message for the receiver. It is usually a humorous poem which often teases the recipient for well-known bad habits or other character deficiencies."- WiKi
Sinterklaas goedheiligman
Trek je beste tabbert an
Rijd daarmee naar Amsterdam
Van Amsterdam naar Spanje
Appeltjes van Oranje
Appeltjes van de bomen
Sinterklaas zal komen!
Dat was ook een van onze Sinterklaasliedjes vroeger...
"Sinterklaas kapoentje
gooi wat in mijn schoentje,
gooi wat in mijn laarsje
Dank u, Sinterklaasje. "
Some of you may or may not know that the 2 creators of DRD live in this tiny country called 'Belgium"
We wanted to do something that will highlight a bit of our weird culture and childhood :)
People from the Netherlands will likely understand better aswel ...
Coming to Equal10
You want to know more about Sinterklaas? here is my favourite spoken word on it by David Sedaris
This tradition even goes back to the middle ages :)
Groetjes aan onze Noorderburen !!!
Sinterklaas is a mythical figure with legendary, historical and folkloric origins based on Saint Nicolaus. Sinterklaas is celebrated annually with the giving of gifts on 5 December. He is the primary source of the popular Christmas icon of Santa Claus.
"Wanneer ik op vakantie ga en toch in Spanje ben dan rij ik even bij ze langs omdat 'k ze goed ken
Helaas, helaas is Sint nooit thuis en zond toen Zwarte Piet, die trouwens in zijn vrije tijd opvallend bleekjes ziet"
Every year in mid-November Sinterklaas, his helpers and white horse arrive from Spain to The Netherlands by his steamboat. On this boat, they transport many presents for all children. Sinterklaas then rides his horse over the rooftops at night and collects wish lists from children who have put them together with a carrot to the horse in a shoe next to the fireplace chimney. On the evening of December 5th, Sinterklaas is then celebrated and presents are opened. This is a Lego build of Sinterklaas arriving with the steamboat. About 1400 bricks. Computer rendering but only existing bricks were used.
Pre-modern representations of the gift-giver from Church history and folklore, notably St Nicholas (known in Dutch as Sinterklaas), merged with the English character Father Christmas to create the character known to Americans and the rest of the English-speaking world as "Santa Claus" (a phonetic derivation of "Sinterklaas").
Deze foto kan gebruikt worden in publicatie's. Eenmalig niet-exclusief vanaf 25 euro. Mail me op Jeroen.wijnands at gmail punt com
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Sinterklaas arriving in Hoofddorp. Slightly cropped. Explanation: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas
Love the colors of this one. Slightly cropped only.
Saturday Self Challenge: veelkleurig
Sinterklaasavond oftewel Pakjesavond (5 december) wordt veel gevierd in Nederland. Sinterklaas rijdt dan op zijn paard en geeft kinderen in het hele land en ver daarbuiten en van welke leeftijd dan ook cadeautjes, en vaak vergezeld van een gedicht over de ontvanger en vaak ook nog een surprise. Hoe hij dat allemaal doet is een raadsel, en het gebeurt in grote geheimzinnigheid. Vandaar dat Sinterklaas ook vaak bij duisternis langskomt. Zeker is wel dat hij een leger van miljoenen veelkleurige helpers heeft die dat allemaal bewerkstelligen.
Op de foto allerlei zoetigheden die Sinterklaas laat produceren: peper- en kruidnoten, speculaas, chocoladeletters, marsepein, taai-taai. Op de achtergrond kleurrijk inpakpapier wat Sinterklaas in grote hoeveelheden nodig heeft.
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Saturday Self Challenge: multicoloured
Sinterklaasavond (St.Nicholaseve) or Pakjesavond (‘Package eve’) (5 December) is widely celebrated in the Netherlands. Sinterklaas then rides his horse and gives gifts to children (of all ages I might add), across the country and far beyond, often accompanied by a poem about the recipient and often a ‘surprise’ as well. How he does all this is a mystery, and it happens in great secrecy. That is why Sinterklaas often visits in the dark. What is certain is that he has an army of millions of multicoloured helpers who make it all happen.
The photo shows all kinds of sweets that Sinterklaas has produced: peper- and kruidnoten (’pepper nuts and spicy nuts’), speculaas (spiced cookies or banquet filled with almond paste), chocolate letters, marzipan, taai-taai (‘tough-tough’). In the background colourful wrapping paper which Sinterklaas needs in large quantities.
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Interesting videos about the Sinterklaas tradition:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvkf0uyXjeA (English, made by a Canadian living in Amsterdam)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4jjoUgmGcY (English, foreigners learning Dutch and about Dutch culture)
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Dank voor het bekijken, commentaren, favorieten en kritiek.
Geen verder gebruik zonder mijn uitdrukkelijke toestemming. ç ŠThanks for watching, comments, favourites and critique.
No further use without my explicit consent.
Yesterday Sinterklaas and his helper Piet arrived in The Netherlands. This morning they made a boat tour through the Amsterdam canals and were welcomed by thousands of excited kids (and their parents).
I am putting my photos taken on my trip to Europe and the UK with a girl friend in October to November 2012. My camera I had then wasn't good with low light so some of these shots are not great but I have put them as my memories of the trip.
Last day in Amsterdam. It has been a wonderful holiday and sad it has come to an end. We took a cruise on the canals to end our trip. Flying back to Christchurch.
tomorrow morning.
The Arrival of Sinterklaas or Sinterklaas Intocht is one of the largest annual parades in Amsterdam. For a horse parade, Sinterklaas always mounts his loyal horse Amerigo and proceeds through the city center, surrounded by his helpers. Sinterklaas' helper is called Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). He is usually portrayed by a man who colors his face black and wears green clothes.
Children line the streets to cheer and wave as the procession passes by. Sint and Petes give away traditional sweets and small gifts. From this day, Sinterklaas makes a daily appearance in Amsterdam until the main celebration on December 5th. h launch the official Christmas season throughout the city.
Fro More Info: rove.me/to/amsterdam/sinterklaas-arrival-parade
Believe it or not, Sinterklaas has arrived in the Netherlands and he and his helpers will deliver parcels at the address of families with little children.
P1120099 (2)
For the non-Dutch :
Sinterklaas is a traditional holiday figure in the Netherlands celebrated every year on Saint Nicholas' eve (December 5).
In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' Eve, (December 5th) is the chief occasion for gift-giving. The evening is called sinterklaasavond or "pakjesavond" ("presents' evening"). Traditionally, presents are ingeniously wrapped, and are therefore called surprises. Also, presents are traditionally accompanied by a poem from Saint Nicholas.
Sinterklaas is the basis for the North American figure of Santa Claus. It is often alleged that, during the American War of Independence, the inhabitants of New York City, a former Dutch colonial town (New Amsterdam) which had been swapped by the Dutch for other territories, reinvented their Sinterklaas tradition, as Saint Nicholas to be a symbol of the city's non-English past. The name Santa Claus is derived from older Dutch Sinte Klaas. However the Saint Nicholas Society was not founded until 1835, almost half a century after the end of the American War of Independence.
Sinterklaas traditionally arrives each year in November (usually on Saturday) by steamboat from Spain, and is then paraded through the streets, welcomed by cheering and singing children. Invariably, this event is broadcast live on national television in the Netherlands and Belgium. His Zwarte Piet helpers throw candy and small, round ginger bread-like cookies, kruidnoten or pepernoten, into the crowd. The children welcome him by singing traditional Sinterklaas songs. Sinterklaas also visits schools, hospitals and shopping centres.
Traditionally, in the weeks between his arrival and the 5th of December, before going to bed, children put their shoes next to the chimney of the coal fired stove or fireplace, with a carrot or some hay in it "for Sinterklaas's horse", sing a Sinterklaas song, and will find some candy or a small present in their shoes the next day, supposedly thrown down the chimney by a Zwarte Piet or Sinterklaas himself. However, with the advent of central heating children put their shoes near the boiler or even just next to the front door.
Every year in mid-November Sinterklaas, his helpers and white horse arrive from Spain to The Netherlands by his steamboat. On this boat, they transport many presents for all children. Sinterklaas then rides his horse over the rooftops at night and collects wish lists from children who have put them together with a carrot to the horse in a shoe next to the fireplace chimney. On the evening of December 5th, Sinterklaas is then celebrated and presents are opened. This is a Lego build of Sinterklaas arriving with the steamboat. About 1400 bricks. Computer rendering but only existing bricks were used.
I am putting my photos taken on my trip to Europe and the UK with a girl friend in October to November 2012. My camera I had then wasn't good with low light so some of these shots are not great but I have put them as my memories of the trip.
Last day in Amsterdam. It has been a wonderful holiday and sad it has come to an end. We took a cruise on the canals to end our trip. Flying back to Christchurch.
tomorrow morning.
The Arrival of Sinterklaas or Sinterklaas Intocht is one of the largest annual parades in Amsterdam. For a horse parade, Sinterklaas always mounts his loyal horse Amerigo and proceeds through the city center, surrounded by his helpers. Sinterklaas' helper is called Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). He is usually portrayed by a man who colors his face black and wears green clothes.
Children line the streets to cheer and wave as the procession passes by. Sint and Petes give away traditional sweets and small gifts. From this day, Sinterklaas makes a daily appearance in Amsterdam until the main celebration on December 5th. h launch the official Christmas season throughout the city.
Fro More Info: rove.me/to/amsterdam/sinterklaas-arrival-parade
Sinterklaas
December 5 and 6 are Sinterklaas/St. Nicholas' Eve and Day in the Netherlands, when Saint Nicholas, also known as Sinterklaas, visits children and brings them presents. In the Netherlands, the main celebrations take place on December 5, rather than December 6.
Strictly speaking, the tradition of St. Nicholas is not synonymous with the role of Santa Claus in the U.S.. As practiced in many European countries, the celebration of St. Nicholas is separate from the Christmas holidays, and occurs during the 2 weeks prior to December 6th, which is St. Nicholas's day. Sometimes St. Nicholas Day is the main holiday for gift giving, and not Christmas.
In the Netherlands, legend has it that Sinterklaas (Dutch name for St. Nicholas) arrives in the Netherlands by way of steamboat from Spain 2 weeks before his traditional birthday, December 6th, along with his helper, Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), who will help disperse the gifts and candy to all the good children. Sinterklaas, along with the zwarte piets, will go abroad at night and stride about the countryside wearing his red mantle, his mitre, and his golden crosier and sporting a long, white beard. Referring to his book that lists all the good and bad children, Sinterklaas will deliver presents to all the good children, but watch out if you've been bad! The bad children may be taken back to Spain with him.
The History- St. Nicholas was born in 271 AD and died around December 6, 342 or 343 AD near the Asia Minor (Turkey) town of Myra, where he later became Bishop. He performed many good deeds and was a friend to the poor and helpless, and upon his death, myths soon sprang up about him all around the Mediterranean Sea. He was reputed to be able to calm the raging seas, rescue desperate sailors, help the poor and downtrodden, and save children. He was soon named as the patron saint of sailors, and when Myra was overthrown, his bones were transported by sailors to Bari, a port in Italy, where a tomb was built over the grave and became the center of honor for St. Nicholas. From here the legend spread on around to the Atlantic Coast of Europe and the North Sea to become a European holiday tradition regardless of religion.
The Low Countries (Belgium and Luxemburg) have basically the same traditions surrounding St. Nicholas, but not to the extent of the Netherlands.
In Germany, some earlier pagan influences (Norse) were blended in with the figure of St. Nicholas, when Christianity came to Germany. After the reformation, St. Nicholas's attire began to change, maybe as a reflection of the change from the Roman church, and he started to wear a red suit with fur. His dark-skinned helper is most often known as Knecht Ruprecht. Although he still visits many homes on Dec 5th/6th and leaves candy and gifts in the children's shoes, more recently St. Nicholas has begun showing up on Christmas Eve in Germany and is called Father Christmas.
The Holiday- Today In anticipation of St. Nicholas's nightly visits, children in several European countries put their shoes in front of the fire place. They sing traditional songs and provide a carrot or hay for the horse. At night Black Pete puts gifts and candy in the shoes.
In the Netherlands, families celebrate St Nicholas's birthday the night before his feast day (December 6th). At one point during the evening, a loud knock will herald the arrival of Sinterklaas and at the same time candy may be thrown from upstairs; when the door is opened, a bag of gifts will be on the doorstep.
For families with older children and adults, different twists are added to the gift giving and may include gag gifts or the drawing of gift ideas or names, and most times are accompanied by poems with a "personal touch" that poke fun at the recipient in a gentle way -or not, depending on the families. Wrapping the presents up in odd packages and planting a trail of clues is also part of the general fun, and can sometimes be pretty tricky to get to, depending on the squeamishness of the recipients.
explanation by Anise Hollingshead
Every year in mid-November Sinterklaas, his helpers and white horse arrive from Spain to The Netherlands by his steamboat. On this boat, they transport many presents for all children. Sinterklaas then rides his horse over the rooftops at night and collects wish lists from children who have put them together with a carrot to the horse in a shoe next to the fireplace chimney. On the evening of December 5th, Sinterklaas is then celebrated and presents are opened. This is a Lego build of Sinterklaas arriving with the steamboat. About 1400 bricks. Computer rendering but only existing bricks were used.
Austrian postcard by Verlag G. Rüger & Co., Wien, 1901, nr. 612. Sent by mail in 1902. Reprint by Sint Nicolaas Museum (1998). This card was a gift from Jan.
Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) is a Dutch character comparable to Santa Claus in English-speaking countries. Sinterklaas is his usual name. The more formal name is Sint Nicolaas or Sint Nikolaas. He is celebrated annually on Saint Nicholas' eve (5 December) or, in Belgium, on the morning of 6 December. The feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas (280-342), patron saint of Amsterdam, children and sailors. He is the basis of the mythical holiday figure of Santa Claus in the United States. Sinterklaas appeared in many Dutch children’s films, but recently the comic horror film Sint (2010) presented him as a ghost who murders large numbers of people when his annual celebration night coincides with a full moon.
Sinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure in the Netherlands, Belgium, Aruba, Suriname and Netherlands Antilles. Saint Nicholas is also celebrated in the traditionally Germanic parts of France (Nord-Pas de Calais, Alsace, Lorraine), as well as in Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and in the town of Trieste and in Eastern Friuli in Italy. Additionally, many Roman Catholics of Alsatian and Lotharingian descent in Cincinnati, Ohio, celebrate "Saint Nicholas Day" on the morning of 6 December. In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' Eve (5 December) is the chief occasion for gift-giving during the Christmas season. The evening is called "sinterklaasavond" or "pakjesavond" ("presents evening"). In the Netherlands, most children receive their presents on this evening. For Belgian and some Dutch children it is customary to put their shoe in front of the fireplace on the evening of 5 December, then go to bed, and find the presents around the shoes on the morning of the 6th. Saint Nicholas was a bishop of Myra in present-day Turkey. In the 11th century, the saint's bones were taken and moved to southern Italy, an area then ruled by Spain, and relics and his fame spread throughout Europe. The Western Christian Church made his name day a Church holiday. In the north of France, he became the patron saint of school children, then mostly in church schools. The folk feast arose during the Middle Ages. Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful Moorish dresses, dating back two centuries. These helpers are called 'Zwarte Pieten' (Black Petes). During the Middle-ages Zwarte Piet was a name for the devil. Having triumphed over evil, it was said that on Saint Nicholas eve the devil was shackled and made his slave. Although the character of Black Pete later came to acquire racial connotations, his origins were in the devil figure. In medieval times, the feast was both an occasion to help the poor, by putting money in their shoes (which evolved into putting presents in children's shoes) and a wild feast, similar to Carnival, that often led to costumes, a "topsy-turvy" overturning of daily roles, and mass public drunkenness. In the nineteenth century, the saint became more secularized. Jan Schenkman then introduced the images of Sinterklaas' delivering presents by the chimney, riding over the roofs of houses on a gray horse, and arriving from Spain by steamboat, then an exciting modern invention. The book's ideas were incorporated by many across the Netherlands in their personal and communal celebrations. In late 20th and 21st century celebrations, numerous people dress as Zwarte Pieten in various cities across the Netherlands.
Sinterklaas appeared with his 'Zwarte Pieten' in many Dutch films. His first film appearance was probably in Makkers staakt uw wil geraas/That Joyous Eve (1960, Fons Rademakers) starring Yoka Beretty. This a tragi-comedy about the preparations for the Saint Nicholas celebration in torn apart families in Amsterdam. One family has always celebrated the evening, but now their rebellious 17 year old son wants his own life. In the second family, a husband is more concerned about his secret love life than his wife and son. The third family has already split, as both have made the decision to live apart. Still there are doubts about their relationship. The film was awarded a Silver Bear at 1961 Berlin Film Festival and is now a classic in Holland. After this prestigious debut Sinterklaas had a long hiatus in his film career, although he could be seen yearly in the children’s news on TV. He returned in the children’s (TV) films Sinterklaas en het verdwenen pakhuis/Saint Nicholas and the Lost Presents (2002, Martijn van Nellestijn), Sinterklaas en het gevaar in de vallei/Saint Nicholas and the Danger in the Valley (2003, Martijn van Nellestijn) and Sinterklaas en het geheim van de Robijn/Saint Nicholas and the Secret of the Ruby (2004, Martijn van Nellestijn). A surprise hit was Het paard van Sinterklaas/Winky's Horse (2005, Mischa Kamp). This children’s film received a Golden Film for 100,000 visitors. The story is about a six year old girl, Winky, who is passionate about a horse (Saartje) who dies of an illness. Then subsequently it is shown in the very sweet film that how a little girl believes in Sinterklaas (played by Jan Decleir) and Zwarte Piet and learns that they give presents to all the children, so she decides to ask for a horse of her own. Two years later followed the sequel Waar is het Paard van Sinterklaas?/Where Is Winky's Horse? (2007, Mischa Kamp). This film also received the Golden Film after it had sold 100,000 cinema tickets. Of course many other Sinterklaas films were produced. The romantic comedy Alles is liefde/Love is All (2007, Joram Lürsen) starring Carice van Houten starts with the arrival of Sinterklaas and ends on Saint Nicholas' eve. Sinterklaas en het Uur van de Waarheid/Saint Nicholas and the Hour of Truth (2007, Martijn van Nellestijn) had some famous Dutch personalities as Nelly Frijda, Pamela Teves, and Frederik de Groot in the cast. It was followed by such sequels as Sinterklaas en het Pakjes Mysterie/Saint Nicholas and the Presents Mystery (2010, Martijn van Nellestijn) with popular Dutch singers as Frans Bauer and Gerard Joling in the cast. Completely different is Sint/Saint (2010, Dick Maas) which portrays Sinterklaas as a ghost who murders large numbers of people when his annual celebration night coincides with a full moon. While children are not permitted to see the film, parental concern arose over the film's poster, seen in the streets and in cinema lobbies. It shows Sinterklaas with a mutilated face and a malevolent look. Some people were concerned that this could be confusing and frightening for little children that still believe in Sinterklaas. A legal complaint was filed in October 2010, requesting the removal of all posters. In the subsequent court case, Maas argued that if parents could make their children believe that Sinterklaas existed they could also inform their children that the man on the poster was not the real Sinterklaas. The court ruled in favor of Maas, noting that the mutilated face was not visible enough on the poster, and rejected the complaint.
Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.
I am putting my photos taken on my trip to Europe and the UK with a girl friend in October to November 2012. My camera I had then wasn't good with low light so some of these shots are not great but I have put them as my memories of the trip.
Last day in Amsterdam. It has been a wonderful holiday and sad it has come to an end. We took a cruise on the canals to end our trip. Flying back to Christchurch.
tomorrow morning.
The Arrival of Sinterklaas or Sinterklaas Intocht is one of the largest annual parades in Amsterdam. For a horse parade, Sinterklaas always mounts his loyal horse Amerigo and proceeds through the city center, surrounded by his helpers. Sinterklaas' helper is called Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). He is usually portrayed by a man who colors his face black and wears green clothes.
Children line the streets to cheer and wave as the procession passes by. Sint and Petes give away traditional sweets and small gifts. From this day, Sinterklaas makes a daily appearance in Amsterdam until the main celebration on December 5th. h launch the official Christmas season throughout the city.
Fro More Info: rove.me/to/amsterdam/sinterklaas-arrival-parade
............heb je mijn verlanglijstje gelezen ?
............did you see my wish list ?
for the non Dutch :
Period leading up to Saint Nicholas' Eve (dec.5)
Kruidnoten, small, round gingerbread-like cookies
In the weeks between his arrival and 5 December, Sinterklaas visits schools, hospitals, and shopping centres. He is said to ride his white-grey horse over the rooftops at night, delivering gifts through the chimney to the well-behaved children. Traditionally, naughty children risked being caught by Black Pete, who carried a jute bag and willow cane for that purpose.
Before going to bed, children each leave a single shoe next to the fireplace chimney of the coal-fired stove or fireplace (or in modern times close to the central heating radiator, or a door). They leave the shoe with a carrot or some hay in it and a bowl of water nearby "for Sinterklaas' horse", and the children sing a Sinterklaas song. The next day they find some candy or a small present in their shoes.
For the Dutch celebration of Sinterklaas our family decided to go with "surprises" (pronounced sur - prease - us), which is a common way of doing the gift-giving when everyone is old enough to know *spoilers* that Sinterklaas is not the one handing them out. ;)
Apparently, it might be a Dutch thing (hoezegjeinhetengels.nl/surprise/). In a way it's similar to Secret Santa, but the participants make fun, beautiful or wacky DIY creations to conceal their gifts. Being very short on time, I did what I do best and built mine out of LEGO. My grandmother really loved it!
Usually, the creatively crafted packgage gets tossed, but glad I got mine back in one piece. The inside of the box still smells of perfume, btw. :)
At the 5th of December we celebrate "Sinterklaas". Sinterklaas and his assistent " zwarte piet" give candies and gifts.
Today is Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) day, which means that here in the Netherlands he has been visiting us the past weeks together with his Peters to bring us presents. For some odd reason the Peters have all kind of colors this year.
Most of the world knows Sinterklaas as Santa Claus. However, this is the original and old tradition that is still very much alive in the Netherlands.