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Friday 16 November 2018

Sinterklaas is on his way to Aruba

ORANJESTAD — It’s the time
of the year again all the
children of Aruba haven
been waiting for. The arrival
of Sinterklaas, November
18th. The holy man com-
ing all the way from Spain
bringing gifts for all the
good children of Aruba. It
surely is an exciting time for
the kids.

Based on St. Nicolas, the
patron saint of children, Sin-
terklaas (the name is a con-
traction of Sint Nikolaas) is a
legendary Christmas figure
celebrated in the Nether-
lands. Although similar to
Santa Claus in that he is an
older man with a full, white Catholic saint. The result is money to the poor and do-
beard who wears red, Sin- that Sinterklaas is celebrat- ing good deeds. He died
terklaas is a more serious ed by Dutch people of all on December 6th, and
figure, donning a bishop’s ages and beliefs, without it is this date that is com-
headdress and carrying any real religious connota- memorated—the Feast of
a long, curled shepherd’s tions. Sinterklaas is held on Dec.
staff. 5th and 6th. The holiday,
The Dutch celebrate the The Feast of Sinterklaas consisting of St. Nicholas’s
Feast of Sinterklaas honor- This real-life Santa Claus Eve and St. Nicholas’s Day,
ing the life of St. Nicholas, was born to wealthy par- is observed by exchanging
and although St. Nicholas ents in the third century gifts and chocolate letters
is always shown wearing his in Patara (the area was (of the recipient’s initial). It
bishop’s attire, the Dutch Greek at the time, but is is also customary to make
tend to see him as a kindly now part of Turkey). He good-natured fun of your
old man, rather than as a spent his life giving away his loved ones, by way of hu-
morous poetry written by
the giver, and offering the
infamous “surprise,” which
is a (homemade) gag gift
that hides another present
inside. In Holland, it is more
common to give pres-
ents on Sinterklaas than at
Christmas, which remains
a day to spend with fam-
ily and attend church. The
feast is celebrated annu-
ally with the giving of gifts
on St. Nicholas’ Eve (5 De-
cember) in the Netherlands
and on the morning of 6
December, Saint Nicholas
Day, in Belgium, Luxem-
bourg and northern France
(French Flanders, Lorraine
and Artois). The tradition is
also celebrated in territories
of the former Dutch Empire,
including Aruba, Bonaire,
Curaçao and Suriname.

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