We've just had a really Dutch weekend. Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Piets (kind of like elves, but literally Black Petes) arrived in Maastricht from Spain, spreading cheer and candy and ushering in the Christmas season. As their boats came up the Maas River, thousands of children crowded on the bridges and banks to catch a glimpse of the Dutch Santa Claus. Following his safe arrival on shore, Sinterklaas and the Zwarte Piets paraded through the town. Some of the Zwarte Piets did bicycle tricks, some were in a marching band, some threw candy--all looked remarkably like Dutch people, only with a different shade of skin. I couldn't help laughing at how much people were getting into this (lots of costumes, lots of singing "welcome Sinterklaas") and how the whole Zwarte Piet thing just wouldn't fly at home. That evening Ellie left her shoes by the door and woke up to find that Sinterklaas and the Zwarte Piets had dropped by with a gift. She's now in the habit of peeking in every store window to see if there's a Zwarte Piet or Sinterklaas on display and wanting to stop to admire each new likeness, so we move really painfully slowly these days. It seems this whole Sinterklaas thing is a good deal for Dutch kids as they get gifts from the middle of November right up until Christmas. What have we gotten ourselves into?
2 comments:
David Sedaris has a great essay about the Dutch Santa Clause called "Six to Eight Black Men". It's HILARIOUS (though probably not appropriate for little ears to hear). You can listen to it on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCUHTDrca4s
So bummed that I missed seeing the look on Ellie's face when she first saw Sinterklaas. I hope that all of you enjoy this new holiday tradition. I wonder... will this be one you continue upon your return to the US?
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