Sinterklaas

[Blithereens]

Just wondering if anyone else celebrates this? DH grew up in the Netherlands so we do. The legend is that Sinterklaas comes to the Netherlands on a boat from Spain and leaves gifts in childrens' shoes.

A traditional gift is a chocoladeletter, chocolate in the shape of the first letter of your name. Holland at Home sell them but our names sold out this year! I made some instead as a surprise for DH. Sinterklaas isn't until the 5th but DH is working away this week so we are celebrating early. We always exchange Christmas cards on the 5th, watch Alles is Liefde (Dutch Love Actually) and have a bottle of fizz.

Happy Sinterklaas! Does anyone else celebrate traditions from other countries?

I learned about this today from my colleague. He has picsof his kids leaving ana pplein their shoes. The next pic is the shoes gone and a whole heap of stuff! Then they get xmas as well!

ISawMama Oh I love that! Mix all available traditions. I sort of tried to get the Nikolaus to bring the Tree but it only worked a couple of times when the kids were really small and when it fell on the weekend, so now it's usually the weekend after the 6th, and we decorate it as a family. The Christkind never came to us (I'm a Nordlicht), but Father Christmas did of course, and he brought the tree which was then unveiled in the late afternoon of the 24th with all the presents (living room out-of-bounds all morning) so we kids never got to help decorate until we were much older.
Now my british DHs birthday is on the 24th (bit of a let-down when we were celebrating in Germany), so here in England the 24th is DHs day and then the 25th is Christmas.

I lived in Holland for a couple of years as a child. This thread has got me singing 'Zie ginds komt de stoomboot uit Spanje weer aan' in my head. I think I'll keep it to myself in case DH thinks I've finally gone mad.

Sinterklaas kapoentjes gooie wat in mijn schoentjes.

Only he didn't leave anything in my shoes as DH didn't think of it. Now DS thinks that mummy must have been naughty because I'm the only one who didn't get a chocolate letter and sweeties. :(

Oooh we had Sinterklaas last night too! He banged on the door and left some pressies outside!
DC managed to say 'Dankjewel Sinterklaas' and I baked some 'speculaas'.
And really, does Hema deliver abroad??? [faints in excitement]....
Must get orders in for the other half of the store that you lot aren't buying!

Happy Sinterklaas
My partner is Dutch so we celebrate both Danish/Luxembourgish and Dutch Christmas, its a great mix with loads of gifts, food and time together with the family.

St Nicolas walked the village on Friday with people carrying flaming torches and ringing cow bells.

It was a great sight.

Not as great as the man himself appearing in our back garden two hours later as he'd dropped the keys to his hatchback which was parked behind the garden. I wandered past the glass door in the kitchen, expecting to see my reflection not a mitre and a big white beard staring in at me.

DS ran out to help him while I regained my heart beat and leant on the kitchen unit.