Sinterklaas
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.
Sinterklaas
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.