De Sint is jarig!

Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) had a birthday today! He and his zwarte Pieten (yes, black Piets) live in Spain and spend the whole year preparing for this big party. They travel by steamboat with a cargo filled with snoepjes and cadeautjes (candy + presents) and arrive late November in Holland and Belgium. Kids fill their wooden shoes (in Holland, at least) with briefjes (letters) or tekenings (drawings) and leave koekjes en melk for Sinterklaas and his Pieten, along with wortels (carrots) and suiker klontjes for Sinterklaas's horse. No, he doesn't have reindeer, elves or ride in a sleigh.


The kids have seen Sinterklaas twice already! This morning he made an appearance at their school and gave them all snoepjes. And they also saw him 2 weeks ago at a Dutch party, where he gave each child a present and told them whether they'd been naughty or nice. This Sint was dressed a bit alternatively. I've never seen one wearing purple gloves!

The second the kids got home from school today they were busy writing briefs and making tekenings. Phoebe brought home a shoe she'd decorated as zwarte Piet at school. Oh, and they made sure the flue was open so the Piets could get down the chimney (Sint leaves the dirty work up to them).

Now I better get to bed since I know they'll be up at the break of dawn wanting to read the letter(s) left by the Sint and find any goodies he left behind. Stijn, I could really use you right now for the early morning shift! It's payback time!