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| And blocking traffic! |
Black Peter (or Zwarte Piet in Dutch) is just as popular as Sinterklaas. Maybe more popular. I think the tradition dates back to the real St. Nick, who had a moor accompany him. Today's version is dressed in flashy colorful costumes, do tricks for the kids, and hand out candy and oranges.
Sinterklaas did not arrive by a single boat. No, it was instead a flotilla!
Children watch as the flotilla approaches.
A Black Peter, enjoying the nice winter day.
And one doing tricks.
Black Peters singing...
...and playing music.
The boats were huge - probably the biggest boat that could possibly fit on a canal.
Finally, we see him! Sinterklaas!
As one of the boats pass by, we get to hear some of the traditional Dutch songs.
Sinterklaas! Check out that ring! I do think it is interesting that Sinterklaas looks more like a bishop, with his hat (that has a cross on it) and staff.
After Sinterklaas docked his flotilla, there was a parade through the city. The best part was Black Peter herding a flock of sheep down one of the major roads.
Black Peters, now making their debut on the streets.
And tiny ponies!
Finally, Sinterklaas arrives once more.
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| The man, the myth... the legend. |
And now, in Family Feud fashion, I have the top 7 things that kids were excited to see or do on the day that Sinterklaas came to town, measured in cubic giga-giggles. Some are obvious, and some require some knowledge of the holiday. Answers near the top are worth more points (shown in the middle of the line). One guess at a time, and go...!
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------------------------------------------- 1.50 -------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------- 1.25 -------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------- 1.00 -------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------- 0.75 -------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------- 0.25 -------------------------------------------
That's great! Very cool! You know, "the real St. Nick" was the bishop of Beit Jala, a Palestinian town quite close to us in Jerusalem (right next to Bethlehem). Depictions of him here always picture him historically, as a bishop, as well, but I've never seen a Black Peter! There is even a miraculous story about how St. Nicholas saved his namesake church in Beit Jala from Israeli shelling during the war a few decades ago. There was a Mass going on, and as the explosions rocked the building they continued celebrating Mass. When they emerged after Mass, there was extensive damage and destruction to everything immediately adjacent to the church, but the church itself was unharmed. Several people reported seeing a large figure of a Byzantine bishop standing over the church, deflecting the rocket fire and protecting the believers inside. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteI have heard of a Dutch tradition where children leave their shoes out on the night before St. Nicholas Day and when they wake up there are small gifts in their shoes, like on Three Kings Day (Epiphany) in Latin America. So that's my guess for this post's point competition: "Shoe gifts." :)
Happy Sinterklaas Day!
I was actually telling the story yesterday of the icon of St. Nick standing on the church deflecting rockets. That has to be one of my all time favorite icons. :-)
DeleteThat's great! :) I'm so glad you remember it! It's one of my favorite icons too!
DeleteOkay, I'll try again. Are the kids as happy to see the sheep as you are? :)
Good guess, but I think sheep are a lot more common here. Being an every day occurrence, they didn't produce a rise out of the kids like it did for me.
DeleteI'll give a hint - there's only one more thing that the kids "saw" on the list. The rest are things they "did".
I'm going to guess the gray horse Amerigo that Sinterklass rides on. :) Ginny
ReplyDeleteSjaak's guess is the peppernoten (little ginger cookies) that the black Peters throw to the children.
Ginny - the kids were happy to see ponies in general - I will give you that point.
ReplyDeleteSjaak - the Black Peters gave all sorts of treats to the kids - so I'll give you that one. I actually didn't see any peppermoten, but I have heard they are a big part of this holiday.
Jessa - very good answer, but actually not on the board. This happens on the 5th - which will wrap up the Sinterklaas holiday season. But very good guess! Feel free to try again!
So where we stand:
------- 1.75 -----
------- 1.50 -----
------- 1.25 -----
------- 1.00 ------
------- 0.75 -----
Getting candy and treats from Black Peters - Sjaak
Seeing ponies - Ginny
Okay, so are Sjaak & I allowed to guess again? You said one guess at a time, but not one guess total.
ReplyDeleteHere's my guess #2: singing Sinterklaas songs
Sjaak's 2nd guess is: the chocolate letters children receive (and adults, too) sometimes set at their place at the table & other times as gifts.
I found a hilarious sarcastic website about the holiday & didn't realize it was poking fun until halfway through the 1st paragraph. Good thing I didn't use any of its info for my guess! Ginny
I am saying they are excited to see Sinterklass and the Black Peters on the day he arrives.
ReplyDeleteAh. I had seen those letters, but I didn't know what they were for.
ReplyDeleteYou are allowed to guess again, but unfortunately Sjaak and Ginny, those are not on the list.
Bram, however, managed to get two in one guess. I did say not to guess two at once, but he did it with such style and grace that he managed to get two of the answers with one response. That's my husband for you. Graceful.
So where we stand:
------- 1.75 -----
------- 1.50 -----
------- 1.25 -----
Seeing Sinterklaas - Bram
Seeing Black Peter - Bram
Getting candy and treats from Black Peters - Sjaak
Seeing ponies - Ginny
Guess #3 for Ginny: the boats
ReplyDeleteGuess #3 for Sjaak: dressing up as miniature Black Peters
I just got the announcement about your post and there are already 10 comments what is up with this? Ok my guess is Seeing the Black Peter do tricks (handstand on the railing
ReplyDeleteSome people check without the email coming to their inbox.
DeleteTricks would fall into the "seeing Black Peter" category. Boats are also too common for kids to get too terribly excited about (I guess...) But yes, lots of kids were dressed up as Sinterklaas and Black Peters.
ReplyDeleteSo where we stand:
------- 1.75 -----
------- 1.50 -----
Dressing up as Black Peter or Sinterklaas - Sjaak
Seeing Sinterklaas - Bram
Seeing Black Peter - Bram
Getting candy and treats from Black Peters - Sjaak
Seeing ponies - Ginny
The two highest point answers are still unclaimed! Here's a hint: one of them is an action (not something that is seen, but rather done) and the other one is seen, but not something that you would expect (although it did garner the biggest reaction from the kid standing next to me).
Here's my guess then: the kid standing next to you was excited to see foreigners like you also enjoying the festivities? It's a long shot, but I'm pretty terrible at this game. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're doing great...
DeleteI pretty much didn't make a big impression on the kids. They were too distracted. But here's another hint - the thing that the kids did is similar to something they do in the US. The thing they saw was "common" and had to do with the ponies.
Guess #4 for Ginny: throwing candy back at the Black Peters
ReplyDeleteGuess #4 for Sjaak: being asked if they were good children or naughty
Sjaak's having more luck at this than me, but he IS half Dutch, so I guess it's legitimate! :) Ginny
There was no candy throwing by the kiddies. :-) And Sjaak is getting closer... it's closely related to that.
DeleteBeth just called me graceful. I think there is something wrong with that. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHas she had her head checked since cliff jumping? ;) Ginny
DeleteAwww.... My husband is awesome... and he's graceful to me. That's all that matters.
DeleteGinny's next guess: seeing the horses poop
ReplyDeleteSjaak's next guess: unwrapping gifts
Whew! It's getting harder and harder to come up with stuff! Thanks for the clues. Ginny
Ginny - you are so close. What I saw is a consequence of what you mention. (Either that will give it away, or make you more confused.)
ReplyDeleteSjaak - you are close to the other one - something that happens before unwrapping gifts, and close in time to whether they were asked if they are naughty or nice.
Lightning round! :) My next guess is... are they excited to sit on Sinterklaas' lap to tell him what they want for Christmas?
ReplyDeleteI say that's close enough. They were excited to give their letters to Santa. And it's the number one answer! Congrats!
DeleteGiving Letters to Santa - Jessa
------- 1.50 -----
Dressing up as Black Peter or Sinterklaas - Sjaak
Seeing Sinterklaas - Bram
Seeing Black Peter - Bram
Getting candy and treats from Black Peters - Sjaak
Seeing ponies - Ginny
Yay! :) Thanks, Beth!
DeleteSeeing the Black Peters step in horse poop? - Ginny
ReplyDeleteHope this is right...I don't like putting too much thought into questions about horse poop! LOL! :)
I was totally gonna guess the poop thing. That's what I get for being slow. How about the poop buckets attached to the horses or maybe the poor guy who had to clean it up?
ReplyDeleteJoey
Yeah, Joey--I was totally thinking the poop answers should've been coming from the guys! I'm MUCH too dignified for this! ;) Ginny
DeleteAye. I really didn't mean for this to get so crude.
DeleteJoey - you are right - specifically, I am referring to the street cleaners (not crude in itself, just a way to keep the city clean). The little girl next to me was completely thrilled to see the street cleaner. She was "blah" about everything else - but the street cleaner was a whole other matter. Her parents thought it was so funny she was thrilled by it. So congrats! You get the point! Final results:
Giving Letters to Santa - Jessa
Seeing the street cleaners - Joey
Dressing up as Black Peter or Sinterklaas - Sjaak
Seeing Sinterklaas - Bram
Seeing Black Peter - Bram
Getting candy and treats from Black Peters - Sjaak
Seeing ponies - Ginny
Yay!
ReplyDeleteJoey