November 28: Sinterklaas

The Dutch don't do presents on Christmas. December 25th is basically a religious holiday here, and also a time for families to get together--it's pretty much like a Thanksgiving Day. Instead, the presents come out a few weeks earlier, on December 5th for what's known as "Sinterklaas".

I know what you're thinking: Sinterklaas? They ripped off our Santa Claus and made it into a seperate holiday! Well you're wrong, you arrogant arsehole. We ripped off them.

Sinterklaas was brought to North America a few hundred years ago with Dutch settlers, but it wasn't until Coca-Cola turned him into Santa Clause for a marketing campaign that he really took off and became what we know of him today. Hands up if you already knew this, with all the times you've seen Santa Clause; I never did.

Anyway, the whole Sinterklaas-apalooza stretches out about two weeks before the actual day. On a few select evenings, kids leave their shoes in front of the fireplace at night, sing a few songs, leave a carrot for Sinterklaas' horse, and then in the morning find little goodies and knick-knacks under the shoes--which we've obviously adapted into stocking stuffers. This house doesn't have a fireplace, so the kids leave their shoes in front of a heating vent.

Two weekends ago we went to a huge Sinterklaas festival and parade in Naarden-Vesting, which you may remember is the place I explored on my second day here. There were a ton of people everywhere, candy was thrown from the the windows down onto the street, and kids lined up along the canal to watch Sinterklaas come in on a boat--they lined up so thick that most people bring ladders so their kids can see over everyone else. The parade was really cool; it was late at night, there were tons of marching bands and each school built its own themed float. I don't have any pictures because I forgot to bring my camera, and I forgot to bring my camera because I'm an idiot.

However, I did remember my camera last Wednesday when I took the kids down to the hospital where Hans works for a Sinterklaas thingy. You may notice they're dressed up; I'll explain that later.

There were a lot of people there, including many noisy kids. At one point Thom was invited up on the stage to lead everyone in a song, but because they were talking in Dutch I didn't know what was about to happen, and therefore didn't haven't my video camera ready to tape it. Sigh....



Finally, the arrival of Sinterklaas. He's reminiscent of Santa Claus, but looks more Catholic-Pope-Bishopy, which makes sense because in English he would be called Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children.

Sinterklaas comes armed not with elves but with "Swarte Pieten", or "Black Petes". As legend has it, they were brought up from Africa and now are the fun-loving little jokesters who follow Sinterklaas around and drop off the presents. Thom and Job are both dressed up as Black Petes in the pictures.

I can't tell you how much it cracked me up when I was first told about Black Pete. I was astonished to hear that their holiday involves a fat old white man surrounded by black "helpers" who "voluntarily" do all his work for him. In North America, that would get you hauled before a Human Rights Tribunal in no time flat!

I find out more about this on Wikipedia afterwards, which reassured me somewhat:

From about 1850, Pete was said to be an imported African servant of Saint Nicholas. Today however, a more politically correct explanation is given: Pete's face is said to be "black from soot" (as Pete has to climb down chimneys to deliver his gifts). Nevertheless, the tradition has been accused of being racist, and attempts have been made to introduce Gekleurde Pieten (Coloured Petes), who are coloured blue, red, etc., instead of black. This phenomenon of "Coloured Petes" was introduced nationally in 2006. The explanation given for this was that "Sinterklaas passed through a rainbow with his boat".

(What a bullshit explanation, eh?)

You're probably wondering the same thing I did when I first saw the Swarte Pieten, and the answer is no. They're all white people who put on black facepaint.

At the end, all the kids seven and under get presents. Job is eight, and was not happy to learn he couldn't get one. Later on, when it was clear there were a few presents left over, I took him over to try and snag him one.

The lady handing them out asks "He didn't get a present?"

"No." I say.

"How old is he?"

"Seven."

Job pipes up beside me. "No I'm not, I'm eight!" I slap my hand to my forehead.

The lady sent me away with a look that distinctly said 'Nice try, you f@#$ing liar!'

Thom, however, went away happy.