Sinterklaas

 Today is  the celebration of Sinterklaas, the bishop from Mira who brings presents to everyone who has been sweet  the last year.

Sinterklaas

 We celebrate "Sinterklaas" at December 5. Sint Nicolas is a Bishop from Spain who brings presents  for the children at December 5th. He arrived last Saturday in our country and this inviting bookstore in Amsterdam decorated its shop with presents and miters.

Decorations

The festive season has arrived, Saint Nicolas made his entry in Amsterdam yesterday and several shops have decorated their  facades as here a bookshop.

 

Saint Nicolas

Today is December 5th the Dutch celebration of Saint Nicolas (Sinterklaas) and we eat marzipan figures, chocolate letter and speculaas. Saint Nicolas brings usually presents as long he will manage this year in Covid times....
 

Decorations

 A photo from last year with the festive decorations of Saint Nicolas presents eve at a bookstore in Amsterdam. Haven't been for months in Amsterdam now. The last time was in May when the lockdown started, and I don't think I am going very soon. But at least we have the photos to get in the mood. Linking to "Our World Tuesday"

 

Pete

The climbing Pete's with golden faces this year, are back in the department store "the Beehive" in Amsterdam. 

They are the helpers of Saint Nicolas, the Bishop of Mira from Spain,   who's  birthday we celebrate December 5th in the Netherlands. That evening the children get gifts from him which are thrown through the chimney by the Pete's.

As you will understand that is a mythical story as there are not many chimney's anymore nowadays. 

Sinterklaas Eve

Tonight is the "Gifts Evening" when Sinterklaas gives his presents to the children and adults in the Netherlands.These sweets are part of the party, Marsepain, Chocolate letters and filled Speculaas with almond paste.

Our neighbours asked us to put this bag with gifts in front of their door tonight when it is dark as a surprise for the kids that Pete left it there for them. It is every year a fun run away for us they don't see us.
Linking to "Signs, sings2"

Meeting

We had a meeting at the market with good old Sinterklaas and his servants Piet (Pete) last Friday in Almere Haven. The evening of December 5th we celebrate his arrival with presents for the family.

You can read more about him "here"

Amsterdam impressions

Entrance to a shopping mall in Amsterdam.

The Sint Nicolaas (Sinterklaas) decorations for the festival of 5 December.

Second hand Book market.

Saint Nicolas

A sign of this time of the year is the celebration of Saint Nicolas (Sinterklaas) who has arrived in the Netherlands November 18th to bring presents to the children on December 5th. This bookshop has decorated its facade with miters of Saint Nicolas and  lots of tantalizing presents.

The shopwindow shows Saint Nicolas riding over the roofs of the houses on his white horse with his helps Pete who carry the jute bags with  presents for the children . They are thrown down through the chimneys where the children have put their shoe near the stove with their wishes and some food for the horse. For little children this is a magical time of the year.

Linking to "Signs, signs2"

Saint Nicolas

This bookstore in Amsterdam is all ready for Saint Nicolas Day at the 5th of December with the decorations of miters and gifts on the facade.

Linking to "signs, signs"

Saint Nicolas

Had to do some shopping in the city and found myself in the middle of the "Sinterklaas" welcome parade in Almere.

I stood frontrow, couldn't move to the left or the right so then I decided to make some pbotos.

Two Pete's offering some peppernuts to a child.

And two Pete's had climed on the roof.

To know more about the Dutch "Saint Nicolas Day" read "here"

Climbing Petes

Each year the department store "the Bijenkorf" has climbing Black Petes going up and down in the atrium as decoration for the Sinterklaas feast of December 5th. Black Pete is the companion of Saint Nicolas who brings presents to the children every year.

This year I noticed a subtile difference, they had no face but a golden mask.

This is a picture of last year.

Traditonally Black Pete is said to be black because he is a Moor from Spain and accompanied the Bishop Saint Nicolas on his travel from Spain to the Netherlands dressed in colourful Renaissance clothes with black make-up and a curly wig. In recent years the character has become the subject of controversy here with heated discussions that Pete can not be black anymore in these modern times.

Sinterklaas

Had to do some shopping in Almere City last saturday but got stuck in the middle of a crowd of people with children wating for the arrival of Sinterklaas our equivalent for Santa Claus.

Luckily I had my camera with me and could make some photos of the cute little ones sitting on the necks of their fathers.

All wearing a Pete hat.

There was a musicband in front of the parade.

Sinterklaas was not riding a white horse this time but was pulled by a touristic train packed with enthousiastic black Pete's.

And there he was, Saint Nicholas the Bishop from Mira in Spain, or Sinterklaas,  as we call him,  sitting in a comfortable chair.

You can read more about our Sinterklaas history and celebrations "here".
Linking to "Our World Tuesday"

Sinterklaas

Yesterday I saw Sinterklaas visiting a department store "the Beehive" in Amsterdam. Sinterklaas is the "Good Holy Man" Saint Nicolas from Spain who arrived last week by boat in the Netherlands with his helps Black Peter and gifts for all the children in the country. December 5th we celebrate his birthday with presents and silly poems and a lot of special Sinterklaas sweat treats.

The department store is famous for its climbing Petes in colourful costumes, who go up and down with their gifts on their back. 

Sinterklaas

The evening of December the 5th is the traditional celebrating of  "Sinterklaas" or more formally Sint-Nicolaas. The Goedheiligman ( the Good Holy Man) is a bishop from Spain who brings presents to the children assisted by many helpers with black faces and Moorish dresses, These helpers are called "Zwarte Pieten" (Black Petes). This photo I made when Sinterklaas had arrived in our village two weeks ago and Black Pete greeted me. In previous posts I have written about this celebration you can read here. 

Impressive meeting

The last weekend before December 5th, the celebration of the presents evening of Sinterklaas (Saint Nicolas), so Sinterklaas was present in some shops as here in the bookshop. Children could have a chat with him and his knight Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). Most children however are to impressed and shy when they see him so close by, to talk to him.

Sinterklaas

Every year around half November our national saint Sinterklaas (St. Nicolaas) arrives from Spain in the Netherlands by steamship. He is the Dutch variant of Santa Claus and brings presents for all children with the help of his knights Zwarte Piet (black Peter). Each city or village with a harbour has its own arrivel of the holy man, which is always a great event for children and parents.  Also in Almere it is every year spectacular, but I missed the event this year because I had my own event to celebrate, my birthday. But I saw in the harbour that Sinterklaas has left his steamship with his own flag until he leaves after December 5th.

To give you an impression of the event I show you a picture I made last year.

 

The nicest thing to celebrate my birthday at this time of the year is that the shops are full of speciality Sinterklaas  sweets as this yummie chocolate character I  got as a present.

 

Or the ginger cookie filled with almondpaste.

St. Nicolaas

Last saturday "Sinterklaas" arrived in the Netherlands and each town or village has his own "St. Nicolas" with his Black Peter's to welcome. These photo's are of last year in Almere, but that doesn't matter, each year there is an arrival with the boat, music and the Peter's doing funny things.

For children who cannot go to the arrival there is a televison broadcasting at the same time with the "official" Sinterklaas who arrives each year in another place. It sounds a bit complicated, but children are flexible, they believe each "Sinterklaas" they see is the real one.

See here for more about Sinterklaas.