Comments on: Christmas in the Netherlands with Sinterklaas + 2 Christmas Cookie Recipes

By: Emma

Emma — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 18:24:33 +0000

Hello, I’d like to comment, it’s been a while, so I think I can answer for him.
Sinterklaas is not Christmas. We celebrate Christmas and call it ‘Kerst.’ It’s less commercialistic, but it has the tree, the food, the songs, and so on.

‘Sinterklaas’ is what America took and turned into their Christmas-holiday. But we were first. America took our tradition and changed it.

Second, the horse is called Amerigo (and ‘Slechtweervandaag’, meaning Badweathertoday in Belgian tv-programmes, that are also being broadcasted in the Netherlands)

Other than that, it’s a short, but correct way to describe the traditions. But again, it’s not Christmas.

We (Dutch) hear that all the time, usually including the phrase; ‘Your Christmas is weird, why don’t you celebrate it normal, like the Americans’ (a.k.a. assuming America is the trendsetter for the entire world) and that’s why it pisses us (average Dutch person) off.
I’m guessing Mrkr responded angrily because of that.

Good luck with the website.

By: Easy Christmas Recipes for Kids: Recipes from Around The World

Easy Christmas Recipes for Kids: Recipes from Around The World — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 08:47:19 +0000

[…] For the full recipe, and to learn how to make the special “Speculaas” Spices visit: https://kidworldcitizen.org/st-nicholas-visits-the-netherlands-2-christmas-recipes/ […]

By: 15 Christmas Facts & Traditions from Around the World

15 Christmas Facts & Traditions from Around the World — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 06:40:41 +0000

[…] Recognised by children in Holland, Belgium and parts of northern France is depicted as a tall, relatively skinny guy, wearing a bishop’s robe, a red mitre on his head and holding a staff. He rides a white horse while his assistant Zwarte Pieten (Black Peter) actually does the hard work going up and down the chimneys in children’s homes. You can read more about this tradition on Kid World Citizen. […]

By: kidworldcitizen

kidworldcitizen — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 13:00:58 +0000

In reply to Petra. Yes! I hope it was clear- there is St. Nicholas Day, and then Christmas, both different but during "Christmas time." My friend Sally is from The Netherlands, and has excellent English, though it's not her first language:). Hopefully she was able to communicate that!

By: Petra

Petra — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 15:59:28 +0000

Hello, I have only one thing to say: Sinterklaas and Christmas or in Dutch, Kerstfeest, are two totally different things! Just look around on the internet and you will learn the truth and more about it.

By: kidworldcitizen

kidworldcitizen — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 01:27:21 +0000

In reply to Mrkr. Do you mean I should look him up on wikipedia? I had a friend from The Netherlands write this:). Did she get something wrong?

By: Mrkr

Mrkr — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 00:26:32 +0000

Wikipedia Sinterklaas. Please.. .

By: kidworldcitizen

kidworldcitizen — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:20:12 +0000

In reply to Kate. That's fantastic that you can share the traditions with your boys now! My friend is Dutch, and just moved here a couple of years ago with her family for her husband's job. She was wonderful to share "Christmas in the Netherlands" with us:).

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:17:21 +0000

Thanks so much for this post! My husband is Dutch, and we live in the US. He isn’t very good about these kinds of traditions. I’ve gotten some good info from my in-laws, but this was very helpful. We were in the NL last Dec and got to enjoy Sinterklaas. Still, as an American, I’m trying to figure out how it all works, so we can share these traditions with our children (just one so far – a 2-year-old boy). We’ll see if I’m brave enough to try one of the recipes this year 🙂