3/6/09

Sinterklaas?

Hee, It's weekend!'
What am I gonna do, hmm I guess nothing special...
Just: blogging, making hw, working (in our snack-restaurant) and playing piano...
Anywayss...

Tonight I've got a school-party, yay =.=
I don't really feel like going to so I think I'm gonna stay here and just blog!
The theme of the party is: "Sinterklaas".
Ohmygod.. That's way too late! :p

I know what you're thinking right now:
WHAT THE HELL IS SINTERKLAAS?

Okay this blog is about "Sinterklaas"!


SINTERKLAAS

We have "Sinterklaas" here in the Netherlands.
He's a traditional winter holiday figure.
Every year he comes from Spain with his steamboat.


The children welcome him by singing traditional Sinterklaas songs. Sinterklaas also visits schools, hospitals and shopping centres.
After this arrival all towns with a dock have their own "intocht van Sinterklaas" (arrival of Sinterklaas). Local arrivals usually take place on Sunday, the day after he arrives in the Netherlands or Belgium.

In places a boat cannot reach, Sinterklaas arrives by train, bus, horse, or even carriage.

Sinterklaas / Sint Nicolaas has servants called "zwarte pieten". He traditionally rides a white horse called Amerigo and come here in november and give presents. The zwarte pieten give/throw candy and things called "pepernoten" (small, round ginger bread-like cookies) to little (good) children...

ZWARTE PIET
"Zwarte Piet," Sinterklaas' helping hand Black Pete, has his origin in the bishop's legendary past.
Three small Moorish boys were sentenced to death for a crime they did not commit. The bishop intervened and they were saved. To show their gratitude, the boys stayed with Sinterklaas to help him, tumbling and jumping on rooftops on Sinterklaas night to deliver presents. Their black skin may refer either to their Moorish background, or to the job of chimneysweep, an option is corroborated by their clothes, reminiscent of an Italian chimneysweep's costume and Pete's rooftop occupation.

CELEBRATION
The Sinterklaas feast celebrates the birthday of Saint Nicholas (280-342), patron saint of children. Saint Nicholas was a bishop of
Myra in present-day Turkey.
HIS LOOKS
Sinterklaas has a long red cape, wears a white bishop's dress and red
mitre (bishop's hat), and holds a crosier, a long gold coloured staff with a fancy curled top.
And don't forget his long white beard c:
HIS BOOK
He carries a big book that tells whether each individual child has been good or naughty in the past year. If the child was naughty, they will put him in the "zak van sinterklaas" and bring him to Spain to work. (not real of course... It's to scare the kids so they will be good.)
BAG & ROE
Like I said before, Sinterklaas and his Black Petes usually carry a bag, which contains candy for nice children and a "roe," a bunch of willow branches used to spank naughty children. (In actuality a chimneysweep's broom.) Some of the older Sinterklaas songs make mention of naughty children being put in the bag and being taken back to Spain, but that's just crap. It's just to scare them. (Like I said before xP)
5 DECEMBER - PUT YOUR SHOE!
In the Netherlands, Sint Nicolaas' Eve (December 5) is the chief occasion for gift-giving.
The evening is called "sinterklaasavond" or "pakjesavond" ("presents evening").
Every night 5 december (sinterklaas' bday) the children put their shoe in front of the fireplace or somewhere at home.
In their shoe they put their wishlist, things they want to give to sinterklaas, or carrots for Amerigo and they sing a Sinterklaas-song.
Then they go to bed, and find the presents around/in the shoes on the morning of the 6th.
The bad kids will get a bag salt in their shoe...

I DIDN'T KNOW?
The Zwarte Pieten toss candy around, a tradition supposedly originating in Sint Nicolaas' story of saving three young girls from prostitution by tossing golden coins through their window at night to pay their father's debts.
I didn't know this story... :o
SINTERKLAAS - CHRISTMAS?
It's actually close to Christmas!
Sint Nicolaas & Saint Nicholas.
Sinterklaas & SantaKlaus.
SIMILAR O__O

In the Netherlands, we celebrate both of them.
FAKE!
Don't think it's real :p
Sinterklaas is fake.. It's just a man who dresses up as Sinterklaas...
Our village's Sinterklaas is a Police Agent haha. xP
Every year he dresses up as Sinterklaas.
And many people dress up as "zwarte piet" and then they make children believe that it's real...
And throw candy and pepernoten everywhere.
An employer of our restaurant dresses up as zwarte piet every year! =)
That's so funny.
My little sister still believes Sint Nicolaas exist! :P
So every year on 5 december night...
I go to her shoe and put presents in there xD
ppssssttt... don't tell her ^.~
I believed in it too,
but my brother told me the truth about Sinterklaas being fake when I was 5 ^__^
Okay, hope you get it now hehe.
<3

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