Today is the Dutch celebration of Sinter Klaas, or Saint Claus, a day which makes me want to check the encyclopedia for the difference between this guy and the Saint Nicholas we AND the Dutch honor on Christmas Eve (they say there's a difference, but I'm really not convinced). And how do Dutch celebrate Sinter Klaas? Well, settle back, boys and girls for a tale that could only have been concocted in the Netherlands (or maybe the US prior to civil rights).
From what I can gather -- and bear in mind that I have done very little fact-checking on this am relying entirely on the various accounts I have received here -- Sinter Klaas arrives on a boat from Northern Africa, via Spain, every year to give special treats to the good children and to whack the bad children into unconsicousness with a rod. He then stuffs the bad children into his sack, in which he will transport them back to Africa where they will work as his slaves. Oh, and did I mention he already has some special little unpaid, permanent 'helpers' who are of a skin tone rather darker than his own? Do a Google Image search for 'Zwarte Piet' and see what you get...The Dutch insist that they are not being racist by dressing in black face and bright red lipstick whilst skipping along next to old Klaas, but I have to say, I am just a bit taken aback every time I see what really looks like a character from Little Black Sambo grinning at me like a fool.
But back to the naughty and nice bit. If one manages to be worthy of a treat rather than a one-way ticket to human trafficking, this treat is delivered into your waiting shoe, which is left out at night before the children go to sleep. This bit is not entirely weird to me -- after all, we do hang stockings every year, which are now mostly symbolic, but once were actually worn by people on their feet.
What I did find weird was what happened when I participated in this tradition. Last night, one of the few Dutch people at our school organized a little Sinter Klaas party, where we watched a movie and set out our shoes, which were to be filled overnight by Sinter Klaas and his Piet with some sort of goody. I dutifully brought a shoe and set it next to the others and was looking forward to a bit of chocolate or other yummies. The weirdness is what came next: What I found in my shoe this morning was indeed chocolate and other yummies, but it was just loose in my shoe -- my obviously USED shoe. WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO WITH A BUNCH OF UNCOVERED FOOD IN MY SHOE?? My shoe that I have sweat in and worn in the streets of many different cities and at least two continents and which now carries untold billions of germs. WTF, Sinter Klaas?? Ever hear about infectious disease, or do you not come from *that* part of Africa?? Or maybe they just don't have Ziploc in those parts.
Sadly, there was a moment where I considered at least tasting what looked like a nice bit of chocolate, but then I recovered my senses and headed straight for the nearest bin, where any interested party can now find my presents.
From what I can gather -- and bear in mind that I have done very little fact-checking on this am relying entirely on the various accounts I have received here -- Sinter Klaas arrives on a boat from Northern Africa, via Spain, every year to give special treats to the good children and to whack the bad children into unconsicousness with a rod. He then stuffs the bad children into his sack, in which he will transport them back to Africa where they will work as his slaves. Oh, and did I mention he already has some special little unpaid, permanent 'helpers' who are of a skin tone rather darker than his own? Do a Google Image search for 'Zwarte Piet' and see what you get...The Dutch insist that they are not being racist by dressing in black face and bright red lipstick whilst skipping along next to old Klaas, but I have to say, I am just a bit taken aback every time I see what really looks like a character from Little Black Sambo grinning at me like a fool.
But back to the naughty and nice bit. If one manages to be worthy of a treat rather than a one-way ticket to human trafficking, this treat is delivered into your waiting shoe, which is left out at night before the children go to sleep. This bit is not entirely weird to me -- after all, we do hang stockings every year, which are now mostly symbolic, but once were actually worn by people on their feet.
What I did find weird was what happened when I participated in this tradition. Last night, one of the few Dutch people at our school organized a little Sinter Klaas party, where we watched a movie and set out our shoes, which were to be filled overnight by Sinter Klaas and his Piet with some sort of goody. I dutifully brought a shoe and set it next to the others and was looking forward to a bit of chocolate or other yummies. The weirdness is what came next: What I found in my shoe this morning was indeed chocolate and other yummies, but it was just loose in my shoe -- my obviously USED shoe. WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO WITH A BUNCH OF UNCOVERED FOOD IN MY SHOE?? My shoe that I have sweat in and worn in the streets of many different cities and at least two continents and which now carries untold billions of germs. WTF, Sinter Klaas?? Ever hear about infectious disease, or do you not come from *that* part of Africa?? Or maybe they just don't have Ziploc in those parts.
Sadly, there was a moment where I considered at least tasting what looked like a nice bit of chocolate, but then I recovered my senses and headed straight for the nearest bin, where any interested party can now find my presents.
I'm not really sure that this is better than a blow to the head.
2 comments:
I needed a laugh. What a tradition, much more lively and hilarious, when told by Jules. Hope you are doing well, even when given unwrapped candy in an old smelly shoe.
Hahahahaha... that is hilarious! Thanks for sharing that.
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