Sinterklaas is a Dutch Holiday celebrated on December 5th. Sinterklaas is the name for Saint Nicholas, protector of: children, sailors and unmarried women. There are many different elements of the celebration and how it originated.
Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands three weeks before his birthday– the 6th of December. He lives in Spain, and travels by steam ship to the Netherlands. It is not entirely clear why Sinterklaas lives in Spain but it is suspected to be because Spain and The Netherlands were part of the same Empire ruled by the Hapsburg family, until 1648. The other suspicion is that sailors brought the legend to the Netherlands.
Once Sinterklaas arrives to the Netherlands, he travels with his horse Amerigo. Children put out their shoes in the evening during this time, and the following morning, find some sweets, treats or little gifts in their shoe. The tradition originates from the fable that Saint Nicholas secretly wrapped coins in cloth and placed them in the window of a poor man’s home during the night, so he could save up a dowry for his daughters to be married.
The eve of Saint Nicholas’ birthday is the big celebration. Everyone gets present and poems from Sinterklaas left in front of the door. The poems originally described the present but later became about the person receiving it.
However in recent years Sinterklaas’ story has sparked controversy around his helpers ‘The Black Petes’. For many years, people dressed up in colorful clothing and put black paint on their face. Due to the backlash against this, the tradition has gone from part of a children’s celebration to being perceived as a sign of racism. After 2 years of attempting a variation of Sinterklaas’ helpers – ‘Rainbow Petes’ who each had a different color of the rainbow painted on their face – people now have ‘ash covered’ helpers suggesting their faces are sooty from going down chimneys to deliver presents.
Despite the recent controversy Sinterklaas’ story is celebrated across the Netherlands and is integral in children’s perception of the holidays as he serves as a figure that brings joy across the country.
- Emma van Selm
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