Explaining Dutch traditions to foreigners is generally very simple, the only thing they like to know about it drugs and the red light district. However another tradition that is rather harmless but fun too is what we call Sinterklaas. Basically, an old chap dressing up like a bischop and riding on a horse that looks like blue cheese and being helped by black piets, coming all the way from Spain. Black what? The black helpers of Sinterklaas look rather out of time and I guess that in quiet a few countries you already would have been shot for it. Thank God they are not giving away teddy bears called Mohammed. Anyway, Sinterklaas is the Dutch version of Santa Claus and the Black piets are just friendly hardworking people that like to wear red lipstick and have black mascara, old school transvestatites....
Moving swiftly on, on the Eve of Sinterklaas we all gather around and give each gifts and for the grown ups we tend to write a funny poem with it. The best is of course the food we enjoy, all high in calories, full fat and very sugery. Pepernoten, boterletters, chocoletter, taai taai, you would think that this event is a marketing stunt from Dutch Dentists...
Sinterklaas is especially for kids a great event but with the globalisation Santa Claus is trying to take over and a huge powerstruggle is currently be fought.
Chimneys are blocked cos Santa Claus and Sinterklaas entered the same house through the traditional door, there is a shortage of carrots and kids are getting confused through a PR campaign of Santa Claus claiming that Sinterklaas is a fake!
Tough times if you wear a beard and like to dress in red...
Personally I am a great believer in Dutch traditions and when I was watering my hennep on the balcony, wearing my wooden shoes eating haring from a Delfs blauw plate, I thought back of those days when I was a kid. Sinterklaas was a scary old fart but at least he dropped off some cool stuff, something which Santa Claus never did! So, I will stay loyal to Sinterklaas after the 5th of December I will close my chimney! Take that Santa Claus!
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten