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Sinterklaas is Hier
Every once in a year around from 17 November to 5 December is the happiest time for kids all around the Netherlands. Do you know why??? It's Sinterklaas (Sint Nicolaas, Saint Nicholas), you might be questioning why so early, it's not even Christmas yet. Well, Sinterklaas in NL is not Santa Claus (I mean the fat man with a red suit). Let me tell you a little bit about Sinterklaas tradition in NL. Unlike Santa Claus with the magic sleigh and flying reindeer. Sinterklaas sail to NL with a steamboat from Spain (altough originally Sinterklaas came from Turkey). I'm not gonna tell you a lot about the history of Sinterklaas, because you can just read it in wikipedia. I'm just gonna tell you my experience celebrating Sinterklaas day in NL on 2012. Okay back to Sinterklaas tradition, usually around 16-17 November (depends on when the weekend is), Sinterklaas comes to a city in NL on a boat, with zwarte pieten (his helper) who carries bags full of chocolate, kruidnoten, pepernoten, and candies, and they will give it to the kids (and the adults as well)
Me and Zwarte Piet
Sinterklaas and The Kids
Goodstuff from Zwarte Piet
Sinterklaas in Stoomboot
Is that all? of course not, I told you it's the happiest time for kids, after sinterklaas arrived (Sinterklaas intocht) there are series of little presents that they will get, usually it's a small stuff (not in size, but not the "big thing" yet) like chocolate, candies, or tiny toys.. but you don't get the present just like that, there's some stuff you need to do first before you get the present. First of all, you have to make a drawing for sinterklaas (tekening voor sinterklaas), and then you have to put your shoes in front of fire place and put the drawing inside, and then sing one of the sinterklaas song. If you well behave, you will get a nice present, just like the song said "wie zoet is krijg lekkers, wie stout is de roe" (the nice one will get something nice, and the naughty one will get a spank)
Step 1 A Drawing
Step 2&3 Sing A Song after you put the shoes
Step 4: Iets lekkers als je zoet bent
When I was a little in Indonesia we also have the Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet, but Zwarte Piet was really scary, he carries a bag so he can put a naughty kid inside and then throw them into the sea. Apparently that story is too scary for kids, so now they only have the "Good Piet". If you're naughty Sinterklaas will only take you back to Spain with him (Oh I'm sooo gonna be naughty for this)
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