Sinterklaas

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Mes Choux,

Today is the day of "Sinterklaas" in the old home country. What is that, oh glamourous one, I hear you ask?

It is the feast for children where you wake up in the morning to all sorts of treats left for you by your parents who pretend to be an omnipresent white bishop saint dishing out presents to all good little kids with the help of "Zwarte Piet" aka Black Pete, his (indeed) black helper. Apart from the racial thingy going on here, sounds familiar? Yes, my dears, this is the original Santa Claus. Nothing to do with Christmas at all, his name day is the 6th of December. You have to write a nice letter to him, stating how good you've been and what your wishes regarding presents are... not that they might be respected, of course! Part of being good is to learn to deal with the disappointment of not getting what you want. And to share with your siblings. This Saintly man enters the house through the chimney (even if you don't have one) in full bishop's outfit, funny hat et all. Oh, and staff. The black guy does all the work, carrying the toys, putting the bad children in his bag for punishment with the cane... Now, he is a Moor - not black from the chimney, you understand? Wears fine clothes but is obviously the servant! Children put a little present for the horse (preferred means of travel from Spain where the Saintly One lives during the rest of the year, I kid you not) like a carrot, or sugar cubes and a little something like a drawing or so for the Holy One! In my family it was normally a drink, can be cold out this time of the year on those roofs... Says more about my family than anything, hah. Every time I mention this in the UK, I see political correctness creep in... a black man as the inferior helper, eh? Tut, tut, tut... Oh, you have to know this: normally personified by a white person blackened up!!! Shock horror! The arrival of Sinterklaas some weeks in advance (by boat, from Spain) is still a televised happening hosted by the crème of presenters. I can tell you now that Black Pete was never perceived as inferior, he was the Keeper of your "good/bad" records, Helper and Punisher (cane!) and as such of equal importance which is something very hard to explain how that works... it just does and you have to take my word for it.

I miss Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet and all the pomp and silliness of it.
Makes far more sense to live in a castle in Spain than on the bloody North Pole surrounded by elves, me thinks!

x just thought I would share that with you. x