St Nick & Black Pete are in Town

[Kevin Chilton]

So, I’m out shopping in town on what I thought was a normal Saturday afternoon, when suddenly the city goes medieval on me (check out the videos I uploaded).

The streets are suddenly full of black-faced characters in brightly-coloured clothing throwing sweets at me, and when I arrive in the Grote Markt, there’s some geezer dressed as an Archbishop or something with a gang of what look like clowns jiving it up on the balcony.

Now I know the Dutch love their festivals, but what the hell is this in the middle of November. After shopping I drop into my local for a quiet pint and ask some of the regulars what the score is. It appears that in the Netherlands, Sinterklaas arrives by way of steamboat from Spain 2 weeks before his traditional birthday, (December 6^th), along with his helper, Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), who helps disperse the gifts and candy to all the good children.

Sinterklaas, sporting a long, white beard, along with his gang of zwarte piets goes abroad at night, striding about the countryside wearing his red mantle, mitre, and golden crosier. Referring to his book that lists all the good and bad children, Sinterklaas delivers presents to all the good children but apparently takes the bad children back to Spain with him.

God, don’t the Dutch kids have a cushy Christmas, even if your bad you get a holiday in Spain