THE ORIGIN OI
It is a chilly, drizzly and dreary evening
in Holland. It is early in December and
slightly foggy. The city streets are just
wet enough to form a greasy film on the
asphalt. Cars and bikes,, as they go by,
make little sputtering noises, and the
backs of stockings are polka-dotted with
mud. On such an unpleasant evening
Hollanders will smile happily at each
other and say, "It's real St. Nicholas
weather!
Most people vaguely know that St.
Nicholas Eve, on December 5 th, has
something to do with Dutch children; but
not everybody realizes that all Holland
tingles with excitement that evening.
There is not a single family in Holland
that does not in some way or other honor
the old "Bishop" and his servant "Black
Peter" with a party, a small get-together,
or by going to somebody else's home to
celebrate. There may be many presents,
or just a few tables laden with tradi
tional candies and cookies, or just a pot
of hot chocolate St. Nick himself and
his servant may or may not turn up in
person the house may be teeming
with children, or with perhaps just a few
grown-ups around the dining-room table
but the St. Nicholas spirit is every
where, one simply can't miss it.
In spite of the traditionally nasty
weather, a glowing atmosphere of home,
light, warmth and fun is in the air,; all
Hollanders, children and adults alike, seem
to feel happy and cheerful, full of mys
tery and anticipation. For days, even
weeks beforehand, they have been fever
ishly at work, shopping, wrapping pack
ages, writing St. Nicholas rhymes, all the
traditional preparations, which always
take up more time than one can really
afford. When the great day finally ar
rives its success is guaranteed because
St. Nicholas Eve is a celebration of the
lighthearted spirit, rather than one of a
deeper meaning, like Christmas.
To Hollanders, St. Nicholas Eve, or
just plain Sinterklaas as it is called, is
such an accepted event in their lives that
most of them do not even question how
it all came about, and how St. Nick as
sumed his present form of benefactor and
friend of all children. Americans, how
ever, less familiar with this annual t*.
must often wonder about its signifiótnde,
origin and folklore.
The St. Nicholas known in medieval
legends and in his present form is really
a combination of two bishops, both from
Lycia in Asia Minor. One of them, Nich
olas of Myra, is believed to have lived
in the 4th century; the other, Nicholas of
Pinora, died in 564. Both were historical
figures and that is about all that is known
about them, leaving plenty of scope to
the imagination. These two Nicholases
merged into one symbol, a kind of saintly
miracle worker to whom the Greek
Orthodox Church turned for protection
against dangers and catastrophes.
When Myra fell into the hands of the
Mohammedans, early in the 11th century,
some merchants carried the treasured
bones of their saint to Bari in southern
Italy. There they built a beautiful church
over his grave, which became the center
of St. Nicholas worship in the Roman
Catholic Church. Bari being a seaport, St.
Nicholas became the patron saint of
sailors, and thus the cult was brought to
western and northern Europe.
Eventually all harbor cities along the
western and norther European coast and
rivers built churches dedicated to St.
Nicholas. In the 12th and 13th centuries,
Holland, with its long coastline, its many
wide rivers and its seafaring population,
counted no less than twenty-three. Inci
dentally, many of these St. Nicholas
Churches are still standing, although in
Holland a number of them have been
converted into Protestant churches since
the Reformation.
Gradually St. Nick became the patron
saint of people other than those who
sailed the seas. He soon extended his good
deeds over those whose work had to do
with navigation, for example, by becom
ing the patron saint of a number of
Dutch merchant guilds. But when did he
become known as the traditional pro
tector of children?
As early as the 14th century, choir boys
of the various St. Nicholas Churches
would be given some money and a holiday
on December 6th, supposedly the birthday
of the good bishop. They would chooc' i
"bishop" from their group who, in s
tume complete with mitre and crosier,
Ampfoto, Amsterdam
ST. NICHOLAS EYE CELEBRATION IN HOLLAND, DECEMBER 5th
Every year St. Nicholas makes his formal entrance in Amsterdamarriving by boat
from far-away landsaccording to time-honored traditionHis trusty white steed
and "Black Peter," his faithful servant, are his permanent companions.
