For most people December 6 is just another day, approximately three weeks before Christmas. But in Belgium it's enfused with tradition, a touch of magic and a whole lot of candy & presents, all thanks to the arrival of Sinterklaas! The Sinterklaas feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas (280-342), a Greek bishop who became patron saint of children based on various legends that include resurrecting children from death and saving them from prostitution. He traditionally arrives each year by steamboat from Spain and is then paraded through the streets, welcomed by cheering and singing children while his Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) helpers throw candy and small, round ginger bread-like cookies into the crowd. Adults don't generally celebrate the arrival of Sinterklaas but since I'm living 20 000 km from home I figure I can indulge in whatever nostalgic habits I like! So this morning I prepared a small display of Sinterklaas treats for Vaughan & me: Flemish marsipan, speculaas and sugary biscuits (all sent by my mother), plus a box of Cadbury chocolates as Kiwi representation. My enthusiasm nearly led me to sing a few Sinterklaas songs but then I remembered that hasn't gone down well in the past! For those of you who've never heard of Sinterklaas, he has a long white beard, wears a red bishop's dress and red mitre (bishop's hat), and holds a crosier, a long gold coloured staff with a fancy curled top. He also carries a big book with all the children's names in it, which states whether they have been good or naughty (zoet of stout) in the past year. Sounds familiar? That's because Sinterklaas was the basis for the North American figure of Santa Claus! During the American War of Independence the inhabitants of New York City, the former Dutch colonial town New Amsterdam, reinvented their Sinterklaas tradition, becauses Saint Nicholas was a symbol of the city's non-English past. The name Santa Claus is derived from older Dutch "Sinte Klaas". I still prefer the genuine thing though and fail to get enthusiastic about Santa Claus, no matter how flash his reindeer carriage or how bellowy his "ho ho ho"s! Then why exactly did I go along to see Santa in the New Plymouth Christmas Parade last weekend? 
That's what I asked myself too when a string of barely-decorated floats passed by...
... accompanied by the local marching band that failed to play even
one Christmas song!
Still, we had a few laughs with a dog dressed up as a reindeer (poor animal) and were happy to see how much Maddie enjoyed it :-). Ok, she might have had no clue what was going on but her 10-month-old brain was certainly entertained to the max!
For most people December 6 is just another day, approximately three weeks before Christmas. But in Belgium it's enfused with tradition, a touch of magic and a whole lot of candy & presents, all thanks to the arrival of Sinterklaas! The Sinterklaas feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas (280-342), a Greek bishop who became patron saint of children based on various legends that include resurrecting children from death and saving them from prostitution. He traditionally arrives each year by steamboat from Spain and is then paraded through the streets, welcomed by cheering and singing children while his Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) helpers throw candy and small, round ginger bread-like cookies into the crowd. Adults don't generally celebrate the arrival of Sinterklaas but since I'm living 20 000 km from home I figure I can indulge in whatever nostalgic habits I like! So this morning I prepared a small display of Sinterklaas treats for Vaughan & me: Flemish marsipan, speculaas and sugary biscuits (all sent by my mother), plus a box of Cadbury chocolates as Kiwi representation. My enthusiasm nearly led me to sing a few Sinterklaas songs but then I remembered that hasn't gone down well in the past! For those of you who've never heard of Sinterklaas, he has a long white beard, wears a red bishop's dress and red mitre (bishop's hat), and holds a crosier, a long gold coloured staff with a fancy curled top. He also carries a big book with all the children's names in it, which states whether they have been good or naughty (zoet of stout) in the past year. Sounds familiar? That's because Sinterklaas was the basis for the North American figure of Santa Claus! During the American War of Independence the inhabitants of New York City, the former Dutch colonial town New Amsterdam, reinvented their Sinterklaas tradition, becauses Saint Nicholas was a symbol of the city's non-English past. The name Santa Claus is derived from older Dutch "Sinte Klaas". I still prefer the genuine thing though and fail to get enthusiastic about Santa Claus, no matter how flash his reindeer carriage or how bellowy his "ho ho ho"s! Then why exactly did I go along to see Santa in the New Plymouth Christmas Parade last weekend? 
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