Here in Amsterdam, Christmas seems to take a backseat to Sinterklaas, the feast of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of both Children and the city of Amsterdam. In the past week I have learned a lot about Sint, although I am by no means an expert (for more authoritative info, check out Wikipedia). The season starts with a very Haloweenesque type of carroling (kids go from house to house singing Sinterklass songs in exchange for sweets). He arrived in Amsterdam by steamship from Spain, on Sunday. Children dressed as the Sint himself, or as his able (yet mischievous) assistant Zarte Piet--a character whom Peter and I still can't believe--to welcome him to town. Here he will stay until December 6th, the feast day, when children who have left out their cleaned shoes will receive small gifts in them--a clementine, a chocolate letter, etc.
I love all holidays, including those I have no business celebrating, plus the whole point of being here is to learn about another culture, so Sint will be visiting our house on the evening of December 5th. M will receive the little wooden flute he coveted from Hema (but could not get the day it was originally a possibility because of naughty behavior in the store), a CD of Sinterklass music, and a little Hema chocolate bar.
In honor of the season, the dress-ups box at M's school has been stocked exclusively with holiday-themed apparel. This morning, he and his best mate dressed up as a couple of Zwarte Pieten.
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