If you have planned your visit to the countries in the first days of December, you cannot miss the magic of celebrations of one of the oldest and most special traditions of the country, Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas). Every year on December 5th, children and their families experience an exceptional period in which they mix history, tradition and happiness. The celebrations begin in mid-November when the Saint arrives on a ship from Spain together with his helpers. Parades broadcast on television are organized in several cities. It is one of the most popular events in Dutch culture, but also one of the most controversial: find out why in this article!
The story of Sinterklaas
The tradition of Sinterklaas finds its origins in the events linked to the Christian saint Saint Nicholas of Myra (270-343). A historical figure who became famous for his dedication and generosity towards the less fortunate. The myth of the Saint as the protector of children saw a rapid spread throughout Europe, which over the centuries led to the birth of various traditions connected to his figure. Stories and legends merged with the different local customs in different countries, adding from time to time different elements linked to regional folklore and mythology. The first celebrations of the saint already existed in the Late Middle Ages: in fact, it seems that the city of Dordrecht has had this tradition since at least 1360.
In the Netherlands the figure of Sinterklaas is represented in this way: a noble and elderly bishop, with white hair and an imposing beard, on a white horse. His clothing is immediately recognizable: he wears the traditional white bishop's alb with the red satle and, with his hand adorned with a ruby ring, he holds the golden pastoral staff with the curl-shaped tip. He is often depicted holding a large book with a red cover: these are the pages of the Saint where there are long lists of all the children with an indication of whether they have behaved well or not during the current year. It would seem that in the sixteenth century the new Calvinist current that was taking hold in the Netherlands tried to abolish this tradition, which for them was now full of too many pagan elements, but their action was not successful.
The arrival of Sinterklaas
The arrival of Sinterklaas is keenly felt in this country and thousands of families eagerly await it every year. On board a steamboat, Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands every year in mid-November starting from Madrid (Spain) where he usually resides. Every year the port chosen by the saint is located in a different city. It is interesting to note precisely why Spain was chosen as the saint's departure: for many this has its historical roots in the period of Dutch colonialism. After the boat has docked, Sinterklaas, accompanied by his white horse and his helpers called Zwarten Pieten, parades through the city where a crowd full of children is always ready to welcome him.
The Pieten: the companions di Sinterklaas
As already mentioned, Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands together with his helpers, the Pieten. But who are these Pieten? They are characters that find their origins in the Spanish models of the sixteenth century, represented with very colorful clothes and a black face. They have the role of helping the saint in distributing gifts to the children who come to welcome him. In recent times the custom of assigning each Piet a specific role during the ceremony has spread: there is the one who gives sweets, the one who gives letters, the one who gives gifts. This is certainly a feature that makes the tradition more beautiful for the little ones.
In recent times the way of representing these helpers of Sinterklaas has been much debated and clashes have broken out due to the possible racial connotations of these figures, painted with black faces. Pieten's appearance has changed over the decades, undergoing various influences. In the past they were represented in black according to the imagination of the local population who associated the dark shade with the work of the helpers who passed through the chimneys to deliver gifts into children's homes. Certainly awareness among the population is growing and work must be done to make society more inclusive and welcoming. In each Dutch municipality the way of dealing with the topic varies: some have decided to completely eliminate these figures, while others have decided to paint the faces with different colors to maintain tradition.
The night between the 5th and the 6th of December
Over the centuries the way of celebrating this tradition has certainly changed, adapting to the times and mixing with local elements. A fairly recent element is certainly the tradition of "Pakjesavond", which seems to date back to the post-World War II period. On the night between 5th and 6th December, children and adults receive gifts directly from Sinterklaas. These gifts are placed in the empty shoes that were left in front of the fireplace the night before. The gifts are also accompanied by a letter dedicated by the saint and in which there are rhyming dedications to the person receiving the gifts. It is therefore a moment of pure magic that when they wake up on December 6th they find these surprises welcoming them. The gifts are delivered with the help of the Pieten. Traditionally, gifts were created by hand by parents, but with the advance of consumerism and the different rhythms of the contemporary era, gifts are purchased directly in the store.A curiosity: the children leave a carrot directly in the empty shoe, as a tribute to Ozosnel, the new Sinterklaas horse who replaced the now retired Amerigo in 2019.
Sinterklaas treats
Culinary elements certainly could not be missing from this important tradition. There are various delicacies that accompany us during this festive moment: first of all are the chocolate letters (in the shape of an S for Sinterklaas or in the shape of the initial letter of the name of the person receiving the chocolate), the "kuidenoten" (small spiced biscuits) , the "pepernoten" (softer spicy biscuits) and the "taaitaai" (soft speculaas flavored biscuits with a note of anise), and of course the "speculaas" (spiced biscuits with the flavor of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves).