Pinoys join Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas

Pinoys join Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas

By LOUI GALICIA, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau 12/08/2008 10:53 PM

At last, Filipina Carmela Javier can relax from juggling work and Christmas shopping for her kids.

Even the shops last weekend were not as crowded as in the previous weeks because the Christmas shoppers in The Netherlands have taken a much-needed respite.

They have just finished celebrating on Friday, one of the biggest occasions here which is Sinterklaas.Celebrated every December 5, on the eve of the feast of Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas is a huge event of gift-giving in Holland and is more popularly known in the expat community as a Christmas for children.

That’s why every November, for more than ten years now, Javier is stressed and busy buying gifts because she also follows the Filipinos’ tradition of a Christmas with Santa Claus which means that her children will get Christmas presents twice.

“The kids have made their lists and I’m just halving it. Half of it goes to Sinterklaas and half of it goes to Father Christmas. And in my tradition, I never buy when it’s expensive so I necessarily go to three different stores, the big stores here and compare the prices,” Javier told ABS-CBN’s Balitang Europe.

Even the week leading to Sinterklaas finds Javier running in and out of shops, as if the Christmas countdown has been shortened.She aims to shoot two birds with one stone by finishing her Christmas shopping before Sinterklaas.

And with the present economic and financial crisis, she has become wiser in buying presents for both Sinterklaas and Christmas.

“In a way, I make my kids make a list and in the last years I managed to fulfill all what they put on the list.

This year I’m going to target for two each and the rest, in terms of quantity, maybe I’ll give them smaller gifts for the rest. My target is to give them two at least of the five that they list down,” Javier said.

Colorful parade

Following the Dutch tradition, the celebration of Sinterklaas is very regal and grand.

It begins on the third Saturday of November, when Sinterklaas arrives from Spain.Everyone, especially the children, patiently wait for the colorful and pompous parade to see Sinterklaas on his white horse called Americo and his more than two hundred helpers called Zwarte Piet or Black Piet.

The Zwarte Pieten (Dutch plural for Zwarte Piet) are very popular because apart from giving away “pepernoten” or ginger-spiced nuts, they also play and entertain children.

In fact, a lot of children always chose to dress up in Zwarte Piet costumes during the parade and also in their schools during Sinterklaas.

The parade is a signal that the children can start putting shoes under the chimney or by the door for the possibility that Sinterklaas will pass every night.

According to the Dutch legend, Sinterklaas keeps a red book that lists children who have been good all year long.

Good children will be very happy when they wake up as they will find little presents, chocolates or poems in their shoes while those who didn’t behave will find their shoes empty.

Even if it sounds heavy on their pockets especially in the present hard times, the Dutch Pinoys still join in the celebration of Sinterklaas because they find it to be a one, true and authentic tradition of sincere giving and loving just before Christmas.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://news.abs-cbn.com/pinoy-migration/12/08/08/pinoys-join-dutch-tradition-sinterklaas