Sinterklaas, any one in the Netherlands or Belgium have him arriving today.

[goodiegoodieyumyum]

Sinterklaas is arriving on his steam boat this afternoon, my dd can't wait she is going to dress as Zwarte Piet keeps telling me how excied she is. The first time I encountered sinterklaas and Zwarte piet I did find it all a bit strange especially the blacking of Zwarte Piet.

We're watching sinterklaasjournaal every day and hope that he will make a detour to scotland on his way back to Spain

Oricella my fingers crossed for you, do you give presents on the 5th in their shoes.

They are allowed to put their shoes out once or twice and then have pakjesavond on the Saturday after the 5th when my folks arrive with the pepernoten etc

Ooooh I love pepernoten! Not living in holland my mum is Dutch but I grew up in the uk.

My friend has offered to take my dd as I have a terrible cold, loving her right now, may take my son to see the parade later. a bit sad to missing him arrive but probably better if ds and I miss that part.

Glad I'm not the only one who feels a bit funny about zwarte piet! Sinterklaas arrives in our town tomorrow so we will be off to the water to watch him arrive on his boat.

I had to explain to a Dutch boy this week why Sinterklas arrives near Brussels by helicopter instead of boat, as we're land locked, then clever clogs says he's seen him on a horse, so then had to explain it would take too long on a horse and the horse can't fit in the helicopter!

For those who like pepernoten and are not in the Netherlands, they are actually very easy and quick to make. There are many recipes on the internet.

Is it not a bit early?

Dd is still scared of them all dressed up.

Nope, all starts from today.

How old is your dd Portofino? What does she find scary? If she is at a Dutch school/nursery, Sinterklaas will no doubt visit, so I hope she will enjoy it.

She is 8 and in a Belgian French speaking school. St Nicolas will no doubt pay a visit.

The great Saint landed in Antwerpen yesterday.
www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/mediatheek/nieuws/binnenland/1.1483530

Love your screen name dikkertjedap !

My dd would not dress as Zwarte Piet but she had a great time yesterday got a Sinterklaas party next week at my Dh's work, you get great presents too.

I was just going to post a Sint thread!
I love this part of the forums and lurk all the time, but never post really.
I remember going to Sinterklaas stuff early when we lived in Holland.

Bur! the 5th is soon (well...sort of) upon us!
For the first time I get to play Sint for someone else....I've already received a pack from him, well, Oma (shh). There's a German girl in the next corridor and we got rather excited one Saturday night when we realised we both did it (never too old! haha)...so I think I'll get her a chocolate letter, pepernoten and maybe some speculaas, I'll see. There's German/Belgian people in my classes too, so we might just have to have a kiddy night and leave our shoes outside (who has to bite the carrot and make the steps in the fake snow?).
sooo weird to think this is my first ever Sinterklaas away from home.
At least I won't have to sing this time

Does anyone else have the Charlotte Dematons book Sinterklaas? gorgeous detailed illustrations- SO worth it! Wish I'd brought my copy here (the author is incidentally lovely too- I wrote her a letter and she sent a package to me!). I think in bookshops it must be the standard price of 13,99, which is a lot, but maybe eBay it? I have a poster of the boat illustration in my room.

• but! oh dear

Gosh I envy you all so so much, over there at this time of year.......can I come and stay? please?

Quirrel if I had the room, don't really understand exactly what we are meant to do on the 5th. We go see Sint and will go to DH's party at work next week.

My dd and ds will get one present in their shoes mainly because I bought dd a camera to take to Australia and it will be a bit late giving it to her for Christmas as we leave Australia on the 27th. I will buy them both chocolate letters although will probably help eat my ds's plus put pepernoten in their shoes, don't know about biting carrots.

I have family all over NL but they don't have the foreigner's eye view and I might as well be a foreigner having been here for so long.

On the 5th, when we lived over there, my mum would pop us out for some quick errand, and when we came back- mysteriously- there'd be a pan of warmish hot chocolate on the stove for us to drink. No regard for health and safety, that Sinterklaas!
Then "very late" (well, when it got dark- for a toddler me, that was probably about 7 or 8) there was a knock on the back door, and my parents would send me running out to check what was going on- and I'd find two big sacks of pepernotjes and a carrot and my parents would be urging me to "hurry back! quick! come and see something disappearing out of the window!" (I always missed it....), and then my dad would play the traditional music and we'd phone my grandma. And then presents :D slightly less elaborate in the UK except I had to sing, although in later years I escaped by playing the piano....

A camera is a brilliant SK present! wow! I always got little things- a book, a film, a stuffed toy and food. I remember getting a little charm bracelet one year.
Carrots- for the white horse.

Have to say my favourite sweets from Sinterklaas packages are the creamy sugar discs which come in chocolate, milky coffee and I guess it must be white chocolate.

I always dread this time of year. It is a hideously racist spectacle. Blacking up, donning a woolly wig and painting your lips red is hugely offensive, no matter how supposedly ''innocent'' the intention.

You would never, ever disguise yourself within a racist caricature costume of a Jew to celebrate a major festive season, so why oh why racist slave caricature of a black person? Would you instead dress as a ''slut'' or a ''fag'' for Midsummer? The insistence of clinging to offensive caricature and building a children's event around it is truly baffling. Oh, yes, that's right, it's ''tradition'', so let's just carry on.

zwartepietisracisme.tumblr.com/image/32521946722

Quirrel my dd goes to Dutch school and her friends mum seems to be buying her loads of presents each time I see her she tells me more things she has bought.

Sinterklaas comes to her school on the 5th, I am not sure what they day we have to go to the school on evening next week to prepare. The camera is cool, its made for children and does lots of things, she loves using my camera so I thought it was a good present especially as when we are in Australia she can take lots of photos and won't pester me to borrow mine.

My favourite food athis time of year is spekulati with marzipan in the middle.

Bonfire night celebrates the burning of a Catholic who was set up. As a Catholic (whose ancestors emigrated to avoid starving to death due to those nasty Brits) I find no offence at all at watching the bonfire or telling the children of the origins of this fire. Well maybe it's not the same, but I'd not keep the children away from the bonfire, just because of history.

Oh ffs legosaurus don't pour cold water on what has to be one of the sweetest traditions for kids ever in that corner of the world. I have such fond memories of Sinterklaas. I am in no way a racist and neither is anyone in my family. My grandfather was staunchly, absolutely 100% anti-racism, as we all are, but he was very vocal about it.

Some of those counter responses are weak and frankly bizarre "let's not go off topic", but isn't that how a lot of people win arguments, by pointing out their opponents' hypocrisy?
How can I have been subconsciously taught to be a racist when I present no outward manifestations of it (which is what racism is about- I'm counting thoughts and attitudes in that, not just actions).
"It's xenophobic to think that criticism is coming from outsiders" is this for real? are you kidding?
"Traditions change with the times"