Sinterklaas kapoentje

[100%]

Zwarte piet kwam langs, gooide snoepjes naar binnen en de grote tas met kadoetjes, en zoef dan was hij weg. Hij was heel erg druk. (performed by a local who had never experienced this ritual before).
Ik heb zelves sokken gekregen.
Ik hoop wel dat volgende jaar de sint komt, omdat vorige jaar kon hij ook al niet, maar en hele domme piet kon wel.
Het was wel heel erg gezellige hoor.
Sugar kick.

[Skweeky]

I wish they celebrated Sinterklaas over here. I miss it :(

[Skiz]

Que?

[Skweeky]

Sinterklaas is the patron saint of children. The legend goes that an evil butcher chopped up some children and stuck em in a barrel of salt. Saint Nicholas then walked by and revived them. It's basically Santa Claus, but in Belgium and the Netherlands we celebrate this on the 6th and 5th of december, respectively.

He arrives on a steam boat from Spain and he has loads of helpers called 'Zwarte Pieten' or 'Black Petes'. He also has a lovely white horse and hands out speculaas (which is a type of short bread really) and oranges. Same principle as Santa re roof, chimney etc... except you have to put your shoe out and put a carrot and some sugar in it.

[Skweeky]

Reading that again, it seems a bit mental, but it's good fun. Picture of Sinterklaas and his zwarte pieten:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Sinterklaas_zwarte_piet.jpg

[100%]

I wish they celebrated Sinterklaas over here. I miss it :(

Since you have a kid now, it is your obligation to enforce in your present country of domicile.
The dutch & belgium embassies generally have some kind of thing going, but they tend to be very formal.
Any way it makes the winter nights easier.

In holland they got rid of the part where the pieten come with their sticks and hit the bad children and put them in a bag and bring back to work.

[Something Else]

Upstall and Doobies all round :smilie4: