It’s that time of year again. Sinterklaas made his annual trip by steamboat from Spain to start his festivities here in the Netherlands. All across the country yesterday, Sinterklaas multiplied like Tribbles and made his grand entrance up and down canals, ports and rivers.
In Utrecht, he made his journey up the Oudegracht canal before disembarking at the Weerdesluis to then proceed on his trusty steed, Amerigo. From there they paraded through the center of town, heading to the Domplein and other locations, strewing pepernoten everywhere he and Zwarte Pieten went.
For the next few weeks, until December 5, there will be a run on carrots and chocolate letters as kids and parents make the nightly exchange: kids leaving carrots in their shoes for Amerigo, and parentsSinterklaas leaving behind chocolate letters, pepernoten, and other small treats for the kids.
I keep meaning to buy some klompen (wooden shoes) for our furry kids to set out for Sinterklaas. After all, human kids aren’t the only ones that go see Sinterklaas’ arrival.
It’s a good thing I went on foot yesterday to see the arrival. The city was packed and traffic was a nightmare. Parking was particularly tough. Even the city’s many squares, both small and large, were converted into parking lots for the day.
Great to see the ongoing inburgering!
You muest have been quite hungry though, going to see Sinterklaas on food…
This is why even editors need editors when it comes to their own writing.
I must have had the oliebollen that I bought at Neude on my mind.
What fun that looks like!
It really is fun to watch, and there are televised versions, as well.
I’ve never heard about the carrots-in-shoes thing before, haha. That’s quite a fun tradition. The Dutch really do have a thing with orange, huh.
Supposedly carrots as we usually know them today are orange specifically because Dutch farmers cultivated them in support of William of Orange a few centuries ago.
I think it’s so great the way the whole country joins in and turns it into a huge event for all the children. I’m a big kid myself after all.
I know! I figure I’m only three years old when it comes to Sinterklaas experiences, so that should definitely count as a kid! I wanted to run up to the Zwarte Pieten and ask for a flag and pepernoten.
I may need to find a kid to borrow next year.
I may take you up on that…
I’m pretty sure I’ll at least be asking to tag along!
Great photos. Make me homesick. So what’s your take on Zwarte pieten? There’s a big discussion about them on the Sinterklaas post of Things Dutch People Like. Interesting that Sinterklaas’s horse now has a name. That’s relatively new!
Heh. I usually try to avoid the Zwarte Piet discussion. I can see both sides of it, but still, from an American perspective, it’s kind of disturbing sometimes. But then the kids all seem to love Zwarte Piet the most. The Pieten get more cheering than Sinterklaas. Basically, I’m just glad I don’t have kids, so I don’t have to make any kind of decision one way or the other.
Hi,
Nice to see.
Is already clear when sinterklaas intocht in 2012 will be?
nice sailing of the sinterklaas intocht, hope to see it next year again in utrecht.