Sinterklaas

The holiday season in the Netherlands is different than in the United States.  The city put up really nice lights around town and stores started selling holiday candies, but otherwise there isn't much indication that Christmas is near, not even a Christmas tree.  I actually miss the American way of overblown, in-your-face-Santa-Clause-explosion-Christmas-cheer.  To make up for the lackluster Christmas expression, I've already started listening to Christmas music and searching for Christmas movies online - which I never saw coming.  This isn't to say that the Netherlands doesn't celebrate the holidays, it's just not as materialistic and flashy in celebration.  I've heard from a few people say that the Dutch wait until December to really get in the Christmas spirit, so perhaps I'll have a holiday update in a few weeks. 

One fun tradition in the Netherlands is the celebration of Sinterklass on the eve of the Feast Day of St. Nicholas, December 5th.  Sinterklaas is basically the Dutch Santa Clause, as he gives candy and presents to children who have behaved well.  November 19th was the official arrival of Sinterklaas in Groningen.  He arrives from Spain on a steamboat and parades through the city on a white horse.  He brings his helpers, Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes), with him to pass out candy and act silly - very much like Santa's elves.  The site of Zwarte Piet makes most non-Dutch people uncomfortable, as a (usually) blonde hair, blue eyed white person goes blackface, puts on bright red lipstick and dons a black, curly wig.  Zwarte Piet is black because he's a Moor, although I've also heard he's black because he went down the chimney and got soot on his face.  That last excuse doesn't explain the red lips or curly wig, however.  Regardless, it's all meant in good fun and no one seems bothered by the overtly racist depiction of Zwarte Piet:

The arrival of Sinterklaas was fun to experience.  The city center was transformed into Sinterklaas central.  There were loads of food and craft vendors, Sinterklaas music, Zwarte Pieten doing acrobatics and repelling down the walls of City Hall, and tons of kids waiting enthusiastically to see Sinterklaas.  Many of the kids wore really cute Sinterklaas hats or outfits, some even went blackface: 

Kids dressed up and waiting for the Sinterklaas parade.

The parade for Sinterklaas was long enough that you didn't feel your time was wasted waiting for it, but short enough that you didn't feel like you wasted your whole day standing on a curb.  The parade featured lots of animals, horse drawn carriages and carts, Zwarte Pieten performing circus tricks, bands, and the big guy, Sinterklaas:

The kid behind me went crazy when he saw Sinterklaas.

I may be too old to depend on Sinterklaas to bring me candy and presents, but I'm not too old to appreciate the benefits of the holiday.  Sinterklaas candy is super good and I'll probably come back with a few extra pounds directly resulted from massive quantities of kruidnoten (ginger cookies), marzipan (sugar and almond, can't tell if I love or hate it yet), and chocolate letters (its customary to give someone the letter of their first name).  Every grocery store you go into has a huge Sinterklaas display with all kinds of goodies.  I can avoid this temptation in the States because I'm used to it, but here I can't stop myself from getting at least one Sinterklaas related snack each time I shop.  Hey, when in Groningen, right? 

This is the stuff making me fat

I have plans to celebrate Sinterklaas on the 5th with a student group in my faculty, so it will be nice to experience the holiday with Dutch and international students.  Maybe the city will have a Christmas tree up by that time :).