tion the good American Santa Claus
has ever been connected with.
As has been the custom for the
last few years, a number of good
Americans of Netherlands descent,
have joined me in seeing the need
and advantage of reviving the annual
return of the Dutch Saint Nicholas to
New York. We have organized the
Holland Saint Nicholas Committee
of which our Mr. van Munching is
also a member. The Committee also
suggested to the Board of The
Netherlands Club in New York that
a special Saint Nicholas Dinner be
arranged for the members. The
Board at once liked the idea because
there is no more typically Dutch
family event than Saint Nicholas
eve. It was felt that as a little Nether
lands colony in these United States,
even Senator McCarran would not
hold it against us if we should feel
as one happy Dutch family for just
one evening a year!
The spirit of Saint Nicholas is not
only for young people as this gather
ing at the Netherlands Club really
proved once again.
Few Americans playing golf to
day realize that golf is a Dutch in
vention. Perhaps none of the Ameri
can children singing about the Easter
Bunny and the colored eggs know
that this custom was established by
the Dutch. And we are not terribly
unhappy about it because it is just
one of the many contributions of
Dutch culture to the American way
of life and one of the happy results
of the historic interchanges between
the two nations. It is interesting to
know, however, that since the Knick
erbocker Magazine in 1940 for the
first time revived the old Nieuw
Amsterdam custom in New York of
having the real Saint Nicholas parade
on Fifth Avenue, the tradition is
spreading rapidly. In 1950 the Wil
liam the Silent Committee took a
further initiative. It requested the
Catholic, Jewish and Protestant
Charities of New York to send us one
hundred of the most underprivileged
children of this City so that they,
would receive from the hands of Saint
Nicholas, handsome presents. They
are getting these presents from the
Dutch people as a token of gratitude
for American help to Holland dur
ing and after the war. You all have
read in the papers that this gesture
was well received by the American
people. The Honorable Vincent Im
pellitteri, Mayor of Nieuw Amster
dam, the biggest city in the world,
gave Saint Nicholas an official recep
tion at City Hall in 1950 and in
1951 and again received Saint Nich
olas this year.
The idea of Saint Nicholas has
caught on in other cities and the
Holland Saint Nicholas Committee
is taking over these activities and
has pledged to devote itself to the
revival of this American-Dutch tra
dition in a historically fitting and in
spiring way.
There are three good reasons for
reviving this tradition in the United
States. First, we show our gratitude
for what America contributed to
Holland during and after the war.
Secondly, we emphasize the historic
contribution the Netherlands people
made to American life, and third,
by taking care of one hundred of
the neediest children of New York,
the Dutch may start a snowball roll
ing for underprivileged children all
over the United States and that
would be an important contempor
ary Dutch contribution to American
life.
Yes, today a number of my good
friends like you believe in Saint
Nicholas more than ever before. One
of the best Ambassadors Holland ever
Continued on Page 4)
Mayor Vincent Impellitteri receiving a Dutch gift from Miss Elizabeth PlanjeThe
Netherlands Consul GeneralBaron de Vos van Steenwijkwatches approvingly.
