Sinterklaas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details.
Sinterklaas or Sint Nikolaas in Dutch or Saint Nicolas in French, is a holiday tradition in the Netherlands and Belgium (both Dutch and French speaking parts), celebrated every year on Saint Nicholas' eve December 5 or, in Belgium, the morning of December 6. The feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children.
Saint Nicholas was born in Patara, Lycia, currently a part of Turkey, but in the year 280 part of the Byzantine Empire. From an early age he was a very religious person and he became a priest at the age of 19. He became bishop of Myra, the capital of Lycia, and took part in the Greek-language Council of Nicaea that greatly influenced Christianity. He died on December 6, 342. Saint Nicholas has a reputation as a friend of children because of various legends that include resurrecting children from death and saving them from prostitution.
In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' eve, (unrelated to Christmas eve) is the occasion for gift-giving. The evening of December 5 is called pakjesavond ("evening of packages"). Traditionally, presents are ingeniously wrapped, and are therefore called surprises. Also, each present is accompanied by a poem from Saint Nicholas.
Contents |
[edit] Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas is the basis for the North American legend of Santa Claus. 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 rides a white horse called Amerigo over the rooftops. (In Belgium, the horse's name is "Slechtweervandaag", meaning "Bad Weather Today". According to the story, Sinterklaas had just gotten the horse, and couldn't think of a name. When Zwarte Piet entered Sinterklaas' winter castle, Sinterklaas immediately asked if Zwarte Piet knew a name. Not having heard the question, Zwarte Piet said "Slecht Weer Vandaag", commenting on the weather. Sinterklaas thought Zwarte Piet was actually naming the horse, thus it was named like that.) Sinterklaas carries a big book with all the children's names in it, which states whether they have been good or naughty in the past year.
[edit] Zwarte Piet
Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful outfits, modelled after 16th century Spanish clothing. These helpers are called Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes). During the Middle Ages, Zwarte Piet was a name for the devil. Having triumphed over evil, it was said that on Saint Nicholas' eve, the devil was shackled and made his slave. Although the character of Black Pete later came to acquire racial connotations, his origins were in the devil figure. This racialization is reflected in the reworking of the characters' mythos. From about 1850, Pete was said to be an imported African servant of Saint Nicholas. Today however, a more politically correct explanation is given: Pete's face is said to be "black from soot" (as Pete has to climb down chimneys to deliver his gifts). Nevertheless, the tradition has been accused of being racist, and attempts have been made to introduce Gekleurde Pieten (Coloured Petes), who are coloured blue, red, etc., instead of black. This phenomenon of "Coloured Petes" was introduced nationally in 2006 in the Sinterklaasjournaal (a TV news bulletin about Sinterklaas, which runs from the end of November until December 5). The explanation given for this was that "Sinterklaas passed through a rainbow with his boat".
Traditionally Saint Nicholas only had one helper, whose name varied wildly. "Piet" or "Pieter", the name in use now, can be traced back to a book from 1891[1]. The idea that Sinterklaas has not one but many helpers was introduced by Canadian soldiers who had liberated the Netherlands during World War II and helped organise the first post-war Sinterklaas celebration.
In other regions where Sinterklaas is celebrated, like Southern Belgium or Northern France, Saint Nicholas has different companions.
[edit] Arrival
Sinterklaas traditionally arrives each year in November by steamboat from Spain (which is odd as he lives in a palace in Madrid - a city without a port!), and is then paraded through the streets, welcomed by cheering and singing children. Invariably, this event is broadcast live on national televison. His Zwarte Piet helpers throw candy and small, round ginger bread-like cookies, kruidnoten or pepernoten, into the crowd. The children welcome him by singing traditional Sinterklaas songs. Sinterklaas also visits schools, hospitals and shopping malls.
[edit] Shoe
Traditionally, in the weeks between his arrival and the 5th of December, before going to bed, children put their shoes next to the chimney of the coal fired stove or fireplace, with a carrot or some hay in it "for Sinterklaas's horse", sing a 'Sinterklaas' song, and will find some candy in their shoes the next day, supposedly thrown down the chimney by a Zwarte Piet or Sinterklaas himself. However, with the advent of central heating children put their shoes near the boiler or even just next to the front door.
Typical Sinterklaas candy is the first letter of the child's name made out of chocolate, chocolate coins, a figurine of Sinterklaas made out of chocolate and wrapped in painted aluminium foil, and coloured marzipan shaped into fruit, an animal or some other object.
Children are told that Black Pete enters the house through the chimney, which also explains his black face and hands, and would leave a bundle of sticks or a small bag with salt in the shoe instead of candy when the child had been bad.
Children are also told that in the worst case they would be put in the gunny sack in which Black Pete carries the presents, and be taken back to Spain, where Sinterklaas is said to spend the rest of the year. This practice however has been condemned by Sinterklaas in his more recent television appearances as something of the past.
[edit] Pakjesavond
Traditionally Saint Nicholas brings his gifts at night, on the evening of December 5 (Saint Nicholas' eve), known as Sinterklaasavond or Pakjesavond. There will be a loud knock on the door, and a sack full of presents is found on the doorstep. Alternatively - some improvisation is often called for - the parents 'hear a sound coming from the attic' and then the bag with presents is "found" there. Some parents manage to "convince" Sinterklaas to come to their home personally.
Presents are often accompanied by a simple poem, saying something about the child or with a hint to the nature of the present.
When the presents are too bulky in size or when the quantity of presents is too large, they have to be sneaked into the house while the kids are distracted.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
