The feast of Sinterklass...& Swarte Piet

"Sinterklass kapoentje

Gooi wat in mijn schoentje

Gooi wat in mijn laarsje

Dank U Sinterklassje"

For many centuries the people of the Netherlands have celebrated Sinterklass day. On the eve of December 5th, Sinterklass and his helper Swarte Piet leave gifts for good children in their wooden shoes.

Sinterklass lives in Spain and spends all year recording, in a big red book, if children have been good or bad. Sinterklass rides a white horse and Swarte Piet carries the big bag of gifts. At night they ride across Hollands rooftops, listening through the chimney to see if the kids are being good. Piet then jumps down the chimney and exchanges the hay and carrots (left in the wooden shoes) for a gift and a chocolate letter that begin with the childs name. (I love chocolate, thus getting a dark chocolate "C" is a fabulous way to start out the Christmas season.)

All of the Leeflangs (which means Live Long in Dutch) get together and celebrate by eating lots of Dutch food-like split pea soup, waissil, gingerbread cookies, and a frozen eggnog mixture- these all have Dutch names but I don't know what they are. Then Sinterklass and Swarte Piet come and visit us. We end with a white elephant gift exchange that comes with a special poem and creative wrapping-which is a Dutch tradition as well.

The gift we got was so creative.

The poem read, " To be sung to the chorus of Jingle Bells. Cough, cough, cough. Cough, cough, cough. Coughing all the day. Oh what fun, this season is with all the germs it brings."

It was wrapped in a tissue box and contained cough drops and nighttime cold medication. Hooray, for Sinterklass day!