The festivities begin in mid-November each year, when Sinterklaas rolls in from Spain on a ship, then hops off onto his horse, Amerigo, to greet jubilant Dutch children. He is aided in his three-week visit to the Netherlands by hundreds of so-called Black Piets, and goes out in grand fashion on December 5, which is the main holiday event here in The Netherlands. Christmas is celebrated, but in a much more low-key fashion.
Children all over the country, including our own, put their wooden clogs out with letters, poems, and carrots (for the horse) with the hope that Sinterklaas will leave them presents and candy.
I've already explored the controversy surrounding the Black Piets, so I won't go there this time, if only to note that the debate continues at a national and international level. The photos below give you all the cues you need to understand the crux of the debate. If you feel like knowing more, here are my posts from the previous two years:
Sinterklaas 2013
Sinterklaas 2014
The Piets come to town on all modes of transportation:
Even on water jet packs:
Dutch slippers filled with goodies for Sinterklaas and Amerigo:
The poem we wrote for Sinterklaas on Sunday night, after the parade:
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