h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Feast of S’t Nicholas – in the netherlands and around the world.



We have a traditional feast in The Netherlands in the eve of december 5th.
It is called "Sinterklaas-feest" and according to the story we make children to believe that he lives in Spain with his helpers, and he uses a boat to come to Holland and today in our "entire kingdom" hundreds Sinterklazen arrived on their white horses. And children are so eager to believe it all, that they all think that the one and only one has arrived today in theír town.
Every year I see Sinterklaas entering the city on his boat through the canals of Amsterdam. This theatre can be really fascinating for me and many others. The children of our childrencircus follow him in his tour through the city.

As result of his arrival children can place one of there shoes at the chimney, but most houses don't have one. Sinterklaas happens to travel always on his white horse at the roofs of the houses, you know!........

So the story will be changed here and there and kids can put a shoe in the supermarket or/and in their home at the inside door. Their fantasy will help them that everything is possible.

Parents often hire a Sinterklaas for the eve of dec.5th (his birthday)with some of his helpers and then he tells the children special things "he has heard about them" from his helpers.

I personally have really warm memories about it from my childhood and the times my own four daughters were very small. Now they are in their twenties, but every year they celebrate it, which is not unusual. Adults keep doing it in the same way as the children do it.

On such an evening, you can write an easy poem that describes some "shady things" of the person to whom it is directed, in combination with a gift. Usually the gift is part of a surprise gift that first has to be openened and this all needs to have the same "message".

So we, Dutch people, are getting pretty mad in these days and I have injected my daughters só much with its virus, that the oldest (29) comes all the way from New York to celebrate it at the end of december, with her three sisters. The motivation is really from within.

For me it's nice to see that the magic of fantasy is passed from generation to generation

For, fantasy makes the world go round.

See a few websites, if you’d like to see it for yourself.

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=92

Sinterklass Official National Entry—with Photos

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=483

National website about Sinterklaas.

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=105 Arrival in Amsterdam

Greetings from Alfredo, Amsterdam, 2006.



For more about it, especially about the feast all around the world see;

History; http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=38
Around the world http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=76
How to celebrate http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=102
Events http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=509
Kids http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=166

Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need.


One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.


Greetings from Amsterdam
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=105