zondag, 05 december 2004

St. Nic’s Eve

The presents are wrapped, the surprises are ready, I’ve nearly finished my poems… I am ready for Sinterklaasavond (a.k.a. Saint Nicholas eve)!

This truly is my favourite eve of the year. In fact, it even tops my birthday. Why? Well, it combines everything I like: lots and lots of presents AND being together with my family AND lots of laughter. It’s like Christmas in the US, but not the same – though St. Nicholas and Santa Claus are in fact the same guy!

On December 5th, St. Nicholas Eve, it actually not about giving, though “it is in giving that we receive.” Its for adults as well as children, though the kids get their pressies directly from Sinterklaas, IF they have been sweet and good kids during the year. The adults give eachother gifts, after the kids have gone to bed. These gifts are prettily wrapped in special Sinterklaas paper or they may be hidden, for example, in a potato or an old sock. Each gift, anonymously signed “from Sinterklaas,” comes with a clever rhyme that may point out a person’s shortcomings in a humorous way. The gift itself is just a bonus, as the fun is in the doing. Originality, not value of the gift, is what counts.

update @ 8.30 PM I got new socks, shoes, incense, cd-r’s, a book, perfume… virtually every rhyme referred to my driving-exams… I laughed my bum off… Others liked the gifts I bought them… I am completely stuffed with all the sugarfree chocolate letters… It was a good St. Nic’s Eve!!!

Leave a Reply