Twas the night before Christmas...

Eh? A little early don't you think? Not here. Thousands of kids across The Netherlands will be little angels tonight and go to bed early because Sinterklaas will be visiting during the night and delivering gifts for being good boys and girls. Sound a little familiar? Well it should as Sinterklaas is what the rest of the Western World calls Santa Claus. Here in the Netherlands, Sinterklaas delivers his presents overnight on the 5th December every year as that is allegedly the birth date of Saint Nicholas. Supposedly, Santa Claus comes from Sinterklaas.



Oddly enough the ceremony may escape having ties with religion on the 25th December but there are some interesting links with racism and the slave trade. As you can see from the picture Sinterklaas doesn't have dainty little elves helping him but some black slaves instead called Zwarte Piet (Black Pete)! The racism is covered up these days by telling the kids that the faces are black because the Zwarte Piet's climb down the chimneys to deliver presents and get covered in soot - yeah right!

The best part of Sinterklaas, from what I can gather, is that when presenting presents to family members a poem is read. This poem is written in a way to tease the receiver of the gift such as a father going bald or a brother that scored an own goal.

But nevertheless, I am not partaking tonight and will have to wait another 3 weeks for my presents, nudge nudge!!! There's also no National holiday tomorrow - I've still gotta go to work :-(