On 18 November, expect to see the streets thronging with expectant children and harassed parents. Candy will be thrown and joyous screams heard. From the puff-puff of a steam boat to the clip-clop of hooves, the spirit is in the air and everybody knows that Sinterklaas is coming to town!
Sinterklaas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The tradition of Sinterklaas is one of the most joyously celebrated and admittedly odd festivals in the country. The Sint (saint), or to use his real name, St. Nicholas is the Dutch version of Santa Claus (indeed, the jolly Mr. Claus takes his name from our Sint) and his big day isn't Christmas, it's the night of December 5-6.
Here are some fun facts about the Sint - just a few, since there are still a few weeks of Sinterklaas fever to enjoy.
While he is from Turkey (as was the real St. Nicholas) he now lives in Madrid. Every year in mid-November, he comes by steam boat to the Netherlands to the waiting throngs of children. A note: He comes from Madrid by steam boat. He does not first take a trip to the coast - the steam boat departs from Madrid. A fun activity for readers is to look at a map of Spain and find a water route that would get you to the Atlantic. Spoiler: there isn't one.
The Dutch welcome Sinterklaas' boat
St Nikolas in a Russian image from 1294
He rides a white horse and travels with his black friends, his helpers (who politically correct Dutch people will try to convince you are just chimney sweeps darkened by soot... nice try) called Zwarte Piet, Black Pete. If your child has been bad, expect him to be beaten with a switch and thrown into a potato sack and carted off to Madrid - the ultimate punishment. Good children leave their shoes out over night - along with some carrots for the Sint's horse - and wake up to find the shoes filled with gifts and candy.
But that special day is in December. What we have to look forward this weekend is the great Sint's arrival. It all begins at 10am, when the boat first comes into view in the southern reaches of the Amstel. After a cruise through the waters of the city, Sinterklaas will disembark at the Maritime Museum at 11.30am, before continuing his tour of Amsterdam on foot an hour later. See the full schedule at sintinamsterdam.nl (in Dutch).
Church bells will ring and candy will be thrown by the handful. It is the beginning of the Sinterklaas season and, for the next few weeks, we will be seeing a lot of him, visiting hospitals, schools, homes and more as he criss-crosses the country, checking on children's behavior and listening through chimneys.
More Sinterklaas news to come, but if you want to see a special event in the city, it's Sunday 18 November - don't miss out!
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