The Story of the Ducth version of Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet

[tonguello]

Wow that's interesting. We have a similar tradition (latin america and spain...I don't know if there's more)
We set out our shoes (kids I mean), on the night of January 5th so the 3 Wise Kings would leave presents. We also leave water and grass for the Camels! 
Do you do that in the Netherlands or rest of Europe too?

[Gis]

Nope Gaston, we don't do that in The Netherlands. and I am not aware if others are doing it, anyone?

[Wolf Knight]

Wow that's interesting. We have a similar tradition (latin america and spain...I don't know if there's more)
We set out our shoes (kids I mean), on the night of January 5th so the 3 Wise Kings would leave presents. We also leave water and grass for the Camels! 
Do you do that in the Netherlands or rest of Europe too?

We just leave a red sock over the fireplace, if there is a fireplace, otherwise under the tree, so that Santa Claus leaves the presents there... My parents used to put my present on the balcony early morning of New Year's Day and told me Santa Claus had left it...

Santa Claus brings the presents in New Year's Day for us... Well come to think of it, St Nicolaus (his name is celebrated in 6th of December) is not the Santa Claus for us (although in the scibes he is known as a secret gift giver, such as coins in shoes etc, to the deprived ones...)...but rather,  Saint Basil of Caesarea is our Santa Claus... His name day is celedrated on the 1st of January and this day is mostly associated with giving gifts in Greece, because Saint Basil was known for helping the poor, hungry and unfortunate...he also donated his whole property, once he became a Bishop, to the poor and founded various institutions for them...

But there is also another reason why we consider him more as a gift giver rather than Saint Nicolaus...when Saint Basil, back in the fourth century, was Bishop of Caesarea, Julian the Apostate was the Roman Emperor and he ordered a heavy taxation on Caesarea for his war with Persia...The Emperor was killed at that war and the Bishop gathered all the money from the taxes and donated them to various charitable institutions...What was left from those coins, he ordered to be baked in bread and given to the poor...Thus, on the first of January,we have the custom of the Saint Basil's Bread.... grandmothers bake a bread in which they put a coin...whoever gets the fake gold coin gets a present... 

[Sylvia]

I've heard before about a tradition of leaving a boot out which gets filled with treats or gifts. This is done in some parts of Germany also, isn't it?

Our kids have a stocking which they hang from the mantelpiece. I never did this myself as a child back in Australia, but we've adopted quite a few of the local traditions since we moved here.

We also leave water and grass for the Camels! 

This is funny! A slight variation on leaving a carrot for Rudolph the reindeer.

[skypurr]

I love hearing about all the different traditions in different countries. 
On Christmas Eve we hang up stockings and  leave a mince pie and a glass of sherry for Father Christmas and a carrot for the reindeer etc.,  but also since they were small my boys have always sprinkled 'magic reindeer food' outside just before they went to bed  (this is a mixture of oats and glitter) the idea being that the glitter will sparkle in the light from the moon and stars and so attract the reindeer who fly down to eat the oats, therefore bringing Father Christmas and their presents - It always worked 

A very different modern twist to being sent to Spain if they are not good that we used was to tell them that the star - * button on the telephone was a snowflake and a direct link to Father Christmas if they were naughty 

Elaine

[Daniela]

You are right, Sylvia!

In Germany, we are leaving our (well cleaned!!!) boots outside the door and the night before the 6th of December "Sankt Nikolaus" will fill them with sweets, apples, nuts and little toys. And if you havn´t been such a good girl/boy over the year, maybe he will left a bundle of rods for warning.

The big christmas presents we get at the evening of December the 24th. They are brought by the "Christkind".
It´s tradition to lock the door of the room, where the christmas tree will be in, for a few days before. At the evening of the 24th, most time alittle bell is ringing, then you are allowed to come in and see the tree full of lights and decorations and and find you presents.

I love Christmas time! 

I still feel like a child at this time.

Best wishes to all of you!
Daniela

[Sylvia]

A very different modern twist to being sent to Spain if they are not good that we used was to tell them that the star - * button on the telephone was a snowflake and a direct link to Father Christmas if they were naughty 

Quite ingenious!

[tonguello]

A very different modern twist to being sent to Spain if they are not good that we used was to tell them that the star - * button on the telephone was a snowflake and a direct link to Father Christmas if they were naughty 

Elaine

 
I loved the modern twist! 

[noodwachter72]

mooi verhaal Gis mijn engels is niet goed genoeg voor zoiets mijn fotos van de sint staan op report and review

groet peter

[tonguello]

mooi verhaal Gis mijn engels is niet goed genoeg voor zoiets mijn fotos van de sint staan op report and review

groet peter

eh?