Sinterklaas
December 5 is a special day in Holland. It's the day we celebrate the birthday of Saint Nicholas, or Sinterklaas as well call him. It's hard to imagine this great tradition if you didn't grow up with it but let me try to explain shortly the story of Sinterklaas.
Sinterklaas is an old, but nice guy. He wears a fashionable
bishop's hat, a red dress and sports a long white beard and gives presents
to kids who have been good. He rides a white horse and has lots and lots of
black helpers called Zwarte Piet. (Sound racist? Probablyit does, but in Holland
it isn't - when they proposed to introduce white, yellow, red, etc. Zwarte
Pieten, it was the Dutch black people who objected saying we were being silly.
At least that's what I've been told and I'm ready to believe it. 
)
He arrives every year somewhere in November on a steam boat. When he's in
the country, kids put their shoes near the chimney (or if none present, any
other place in the house will do) and sing traditional songs. Sometimes they'll
put a carrot in the shoe for Sinterklaas' horse. As if this all isn't bizarre
enough, Sinterklaas then rides the roofs of all houses in Holland and wherever
a kid has placed his shoe and sung nicely, he will drop a little present through
the chimney, mostly candy. This all builds up to the evening of December 5,
where the whole family gathers and sings and then, always when you least expect
it, there will be a loud bang on the window. This is Zwarte Piet, telling
everyone that they should run outside NOW. And lo and behold! There will stand
in the dark night a big basket chock-full of presents. 
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Sinterklaas |
That's about the extent of the tradition, and the best part
is that once Sinterklaas enters the country, everyone plays along: his arrival
will be a big item on the evening news, all newspapers will be printing articles
and interviews, he will be in famous talk shows, etc. It's as if for a few
weeks, everyone in Holland believes he's real - it's great! 
It all sounds a lot like Santa Claus, don't you think? Well, surprise surprise, they are one and the same guy! The Dutch took Sinterklaas to the US and over time he melted into the Christmas tradition! For you sceptics, unbelievers and those with general interest in history, here's the proof.