Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet - from the Netherlands

End of the year holidays are celebrated all over the world in a number of ways. Traditions carried down from generations are remembered, families are engaged in each other and the season, friends - new and old - are acknowledged for all they have done. There is the exchange of gifts, the special holiday time foods, and the overall feeling of goodwill.

In the Netherlands, December 5 is Sinterklaas Day - with his arrival from Spain just a few weeks prior. This marks the start of the gift giving season. December 6 is the day that Saint Nicholas died so it is named in his honor and, therefore, gifts are given on the eve of that day.

Custom
Sinterklaas and Zwarte Pieten arrive by steamboat from Spain each year to the Netherlands in late November and are then paraded through the streets of the town, welcomed by cheering and singing children. His 'Zwarte Pieten' throw candy and small, round ginger bread-like cookies, 'kruidnoten', into the crowd. The children welcome him by singing traditional 'Sinterklaas' songs. 'Sinterklaas' also visits schools, hospitals and shopping malls.

Once he arrives in the country, children will put their shoes by the fireplace (or heater) in anticipation that he will come to visit them. Specifically, shoes are used to deliver the presents as they are very personal to the child and Sinterklaas can differentiate between the good and bad children.

Sinterklaas is a former bishop of Turkey well known, during his tenure, for being generous. Each year, he visits the children of The Netherlands. To the good boys and girls, Sinterklaas instructs Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) to deliver presents in their shoes which are placed next to the fireplace. The bad boys and girls - as the story goes - are given bundles of sticks and a bag of salt in their shoes or placed in the potato bag to be taken back to Madrid, Spain.