Tag Archives: sinterklaas

Sinterklaas, (no not Santa Claus…)

03 Monday Dec 2012

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Sinterklaas, the Holy Man, is on his way. He is terribly old and old-fashioned. He lives in Spain and every year around the beginning of december he travels up north by steamboat -no he has not yet heard about globalization, he only travels to Belgium, Holland and a part of Germany- to give the kids treats; usually he passes by when they are sleeping. He and his helpers (Zwarte Piet : Black Pete) go on the roofs, the Holy Man on his horse, the helpers on foot, and they go through the chimney to bring the presents and goodies. They only go to those kids that have been good, and who have put their shoe, filled with a carrot and a sugar cube (for the horse) and if possible, a letter to the Sint, in front of the chimney.

Apart from toys, he brings chocolate, marzipan and speculoos, the typical Sinterklaas treats. We have never heard of a dia del niño, the day Argentine kids get a present, but as a kids’ day, this one is definitely a lot cooler!

Although he is supposed to be a kids friend, there does not seem to be an age limit to the people he visits. I think he gave up on me when there was a new generation of kids. My kids. Even in many offices and companies the Holy Man comes overnight and leaves a few goodies for each employee.

Usually the kids don’t know who is actually behind the mysteriously appearing presents until they are 6 or 8. Depending if they are the 1st, 2nd or Xnd child in a family. I eventually had to tell my youngest, because every time she had doubts, every time one of her school friends had told her the whole Sinterklaas-thing is a scam, she asked her big brother who, obviously, always said they were lying and that of course Sinterklaas is real. Probably because, when he found out at the age of 6, we told him that if he tells his little sister, the Sint would stop coming. Of course he didn’t want that to happen…

I thought it quite funny when I was at my sons apartment last month, and his friends -all around their 20s-were discussing wether Sinterklaas would come to their house this year. One said yes, the other no, but when they asked my son he coldly said I dont have a chimney. That is indeed a problem, isn’t it? How does Sinterklaas handle the houses and apartments that don’t have a chimney?

There are a lot of mysteries about the how’s and the why’s, but the Belgian media figure Bart Peters has answered all the questions during his TV shows called  Dag Sinterklaas. His shows became so popular that his answers are now considered the standard answers to all the questions one would have.

Apparently it are the Dutch who took Sinterklaas to the US, where he slowly changed into Santa Claus, with a couple of differences. Santa is not holy anymore, he does not live in Spain, he has no Black Petes, he doesn’t use the chimneys. Also the typical Sinterklaas goodies didn’t survive. But the funniest thing is, that nowadays, Santa is trying to conquer Sinterklaas his territory…

How can he? He is just a fake Sint!!!

NB Sinterklaas is coming on the night of the 5th of December. Unfortunately Sinterklaas doesn’t like flying and his steamboat doesn’t reach very far. I think he doesn’t like the heat either. He will not be coming to Argentina…

Sinterklaas

06 Monday Dec 2010

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I thought it’s about time I taught you some Belgian/Dutch tradition. The tradition of Sinterklaas, the “original” Sante Claus.

Sinterklaas is a saint who lives in Spain. Every year he comes to Belgium and Holland with a steamer, just before the 5th of december. That is his day. Or better, his night. That night he goes from door to door, he on his horse, his helpers on foot. Actually he doesn’t really go from door to door, he goes from chimney to chimny, over the rooftops. His helpers are called Black Jacks and they carry big bags with toys (and empty bags to put the bad children in, but that ‘s been getting out of use these days). If these helpers are “real” blacks, if they are black because their job is delivering toys to kids through the chimney, is not known. Personally I would go for the last option, as the 9,999 out of 10 they are whites with a painted face.

Traditionally, the “goede sint” (the good sint), brings toys, chocolate in the shape or sinterklaas or his black jacks, marsepin in different shapes, and biscuits called ‘speculaas’. The only thing the kids have to do is put their shoe together with a carrot and a sugar cube (for the horse) in front of the chimney, if possible with a letter to the sint (although nowadays they an e-mail is OK), and sing a lot of sinterklaas songs. The best thing is that although sinterklaas is known as a big friend of the children, he remains their friend, even when they grow up. The Holy Man even brings his sweets to adults… Fortunately. Because chocolate, marsepin and speculaas are my absolute favourite sweets.

This is our first sinterklaas here in Argentina, and I needed a bit of imagination to organise it here. I made my own marsepin and speculaas (brought Speculaas-herbs from Belgium), and I found the sinterklaas chocolate figure standing next to Santa Claus in the El Viejo Oso. Unfortunately very small and Mr Black Jack is missing.

I found some real original sinterklaas presents for my kids, although almost adults, at this time of the year they consider themselves babies. They even write the traditional sinterklaas letters, and if I want, they would sing the songs. Yes. I am late. He was supposed to come yesterday, but he was too busy in Belgium. He is on the plane to Argentina as we speak, and will come to our house tonight. The shoes are waiting. We ran out of carrots, and they don’t have sugar cubes here. So in the shoes, I see an orange and an apple. Let’s hope sinterklaas’ horse likes fruits!!!

You find more about the Sint and his relation to Santa on Wiki