Believe

Amerigo (the horse), a Black Peter with the big book and
of course: Sinterklaas himself!

The thing to do in this period in the Netherlands is put out your shoe. Any shoe will do, as long as you put some hay or a carrot or some sugar lumps in it and you sing a song. Then you go to bed. And the next morning, Sinterklaas will have had one of his Black Peters put a little present in the shoe. Of course the hay, carrot or sugar is gone: given to Amerigo, Sinterklaas' faithful white horse.

I didn't sing on Saturday night, nor did I put my shoe out. I don't have any hay, carrots or sugar lumps in the house either. But on Sunday morning I found 4 chocolate letters in my shoes!! One of the letters was of an M, my initial and there was another one starting with a J, my last name's initial. But there were also two letters that had nothing to do with my name!

And I started thinking. Perhaps one of the Black Peters mistook my home for somebody else's! Possibly my brother's house. Because I knew for a fact that all the letters I had in my shoes were initials of my nephew and nieces! So I thought: why not take them to them! Which I did. 

Well, I was told by the girls that I shouldn't sing that night to say thank you: I might get more presents that weren't meant for me! Which was clever thinking I must say. It's just: this morning four more letters appeared! None of which fit my name!! I had better get my thinking cap on again...

He's here!!

Who? Well, Sinterklaas of course. Or Saint Nicholas. Or the holy man. Or the friend of children. He lives in Madrid (Spain) and comes to the Netherlands using his little steamer. His steamer is packed to the rafters with Black Peters, presents and of course his faithfull white horse Amerigo (yes, named after the explorer).

From now until December 5th when he celebrates his birthday by giving away presents, he will show up in every single show on television, there will be discussions about the pc-ness of Black Peters and children will have a hard time falling asleep at night because they are wondering what the Saint and his Peters will leave in their shoes, before the big day with chocolate letters, speculoos, hot chocolate, ginger nuts and of course the proper presents!

About the pc-ness of the Black Peters: since Saint Nicholas has taken up residence in Madrid a long time ago, they could be Moorish slaves. Then again, they could be black because they are the ones climbing down the chimney to leave the presents. But according to the latest film about our national gift giver, the Black Peters are black because their faces were burned during some raid or other. Needless to say, that film is a horror film! Whatever reason, a few years ago the pc Peters that were Blue, Yellow, Red and every other colour under the sun didn't make much of an impression on the children and they haver reverted back to Black Peters.

Jolly versus distinguished

He arrived last Saturday on his steamer all the way from Spain. He brought with him his faithful white horse Amerigo and his army of Black Peters. Who he is? Well, Saint Nicholas of course! Where the rest of the world is going potty over the jolly fat bloke with flying reindeer and elves (how probable is that?), we have a distinguished looking older gentleman with a horse and Black Peters.

So, for three weeks there will be adverts all over the place with all of those Black Peters popping up willy-nilly, every life show will have Saint Nicholas in and while in the shops, you go mad with all the 'Sinterklaas' songs! And after he has returned to Spain, the jolly fat bloke will take over!

*Sigh*