246 – Sinterklaas’s Gift

By: pundalik

Dec 05 2009

Category: Amsterdam, Culture, Netherlands

Aperture:	f/3.2
Focal Length:	7.2mm
ISO:	200
Shutter:	1/0 sec
Camera:	DiMAGE X31

From Wikipedia;-

Traditionally, in the weeks between his arrival and December 5, before going to bed, children put their shoes next to the fireplace chimney of the coal fired stove or fireplace, or, in modern times, next to the central heating. The shoe is to have a carrot or some hay in it and a bowl of water “for Sinterklaas’ horse,” and the children sing a Sinterklaas song; the next day they will find some candy or a small present in their shoes. When a house has no chimney, Sinterklaas or Black Pete is said to enter using his special key that fits on every door in the Netherlands.

Typical Sinterklaas candy traditionally includes: mandarin oranges, pepernoten, letter-shaped pastry filled with almond paste or chocolate letter (the first letter of the child’s name made out of chocolate), speculaas (sometimes filled with almond paste), chocolate coins and marzipan figures. Newer candy includes kruidnoten (a type of shortcrust biscuit or gingerbread-biscuits) and a figurine of Sinterklaas made out of chocolate and wrapped in painted aluminum foil.

Children are told that Black Pete enters the house through the chimney, which also explains his black face and hands, and will leave a bundle of sticks (“roe”) or a small bag of salt in the shoe instead of candy if the child has been bad. If they have been really bad, Black Pete may take them back to Spain in his sack, a tradition now frowned upon under the influence of modern child psychology.

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As we put our shoes in the office on the 4th December, it was filled with gifts and poems the next day.

Place: Office, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Date: 5 December 2009
Camera: Konica Minolta DiMAGE X31
Focal Length: 7.2 mm
Aperture: f/3.2
Exposure Time: 1/50
ISO: 200

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