My first time without Sinterklaas..

Today my friends wrote me some messages about preparing for tonight there were making suprises, buying last minute presents and writing poems..

It was then that I realized that after celebrating it all my life long this year is the first year that I am not celebrating ' Sinterklaas' !

'Sinterklaas' on his hore surrounded by 'Zwarte Pieten'

'Sinterklaas'..¿Que esta?, the not Dutch readers must think right now. Actually according to the Dutch children you must know him. Yes, it is a person and he is suppose to be one of yours!

Dutch children until the age of 7 or 8 are being told a story about a holly man named ‘Sinterklaas’ or ‘ Sint Nicolaas’ who will come from Spain each year to celebrate his birthday with them in the Netherlands. ( I know that you are from the Basque County but Dutch children don’t know the difference.) My small cousins have asked me when I just arrived here if I had seen ‘Sint Nicolaas’ yet.

His birthday is today on the 5th of December but he always arrives more early around the half of November. In every town (yes very possible) he will arrive by train or ship and he will bring with him many of his helpers who have a black skin collar (just like all the people in Spain yes), they are called ‘ Zwarte Piet’ which means ‘Black Pete’ and the most important ones have names like ‘Perdro’.


The story goes that he arrives to the Netherlands by a steamship from Spain and this ship is always filled with lots of presents and sweets for the children that have been good that year.
Every town receives the guy with a big parade and from then till the 5th of December the children are aloud to put their show under the chime every night before they go to bed. The next morning they will receive a little present or some sweets that ‘Zwarte Piet’ has put in there shoe. They say he comes down the chimney while Sinterklaas wait on the roof with his horse. Many children leave some carrots with their shoes at night for the horse.

The steamship with presents

On the 5th of December, the night of his birthday families all come together for ‘ present night’ . While the family is sitting in the living room their will suddenly be a noise upstairs or outside. Quickly they go and look to discover where it came from and then they will discover a big bag full of presents that ‘ Zwarte piet’ left behind for them.

During the stay of December quit often schools gets visit from ‘ Sinterklaas’ and his ‘ Zwarte Pieten’ who will throw candy inside the class room. The same happens on the streets, it is a happy time for the children.

That is at least when they have been good sweet little children. The story goes that when you have been bad you will get slapped with the ‘roe’!

The 'Roe' of 'Zwarte Piet'

And if you have been really naughty ‘ Sinterklaas’ will put you in his big bag used for presents and take you back with him to Spain.

I think that over here you have something similar going on? It is a fellow who comes down from the mountains in December every year with presents for the children.



He is called ‘Olentzero’ and is the Basque replacements for ‘Santa Claus’ around Christmas I understood. The idea of him bringing presents for the good children and mine cols for the naughty ones is quit similar to the idea around or ‘ Sinterklaas’. The only thing that I’ve heard and can’t believe is that he drinks and smokes (pot)? Muy interesante haha.

Olentzero in Bilbao

A well, over here I almost forgot that it is ‘Sinterklaas’ today. This is because I know it’s fake but..When I look at some pictures of parades this year I do remember how exciting it was when he was coming to town and when I heard a knock on the door hoping it was ’ Zwarte Piet’ with candy back then, when I was still a little sweet and unknowing girl.