ST. NICHOLAS...
Ampfoto, Amsterdam
ST. NICHOLAS EYE CELEBRATION IN HOLLAND, DECEMBER 5th
Despite the heavy schedule"Sinterklaas" as the old bishop is popularly calledand
his loyal companion "Black Peterfind time to visit all Dutch children. They are
seen here visiting a Dutch YMCA; fifty little Amboinese children were also present.
v lead a procession of his boys
thrfrtfgh the streets begging for "bishop
money;" half of this was spent on candles,
the other half on candy. Later these pro
cessions degenerated; the child-bishops
and their choir boys turned into gangs,
roaming the city streets and using all
the money for themselves, until the whole
procedure was banned in the 17th cen
tury.
Meanwhile, the spirit of St. Nick was
firmly entrenched in the convent schools.
On his birthday the diligent and good
pupils wouldbe rewarded with gifts,
while the lazy and disobedient would be
punished with the birch rod, the in
dispensable instrument of medieval edu
cation. One of the teacher-monks would
dress up as the venerable bishop just
as he is still presented today, with his
long white beard, mitre, long red mantle,
crosier and all and play the role of
benefactor and inquisitor.
At this time Black Peter came on the
scene. In the Middle Ages the Black
Man or Black Peter was the name the
Dutch gave to the devil. As was popularly
b ed, St. Nicholas on his birthday
would chain the devil and lug him along
as his servant, making him drop candy
and presents through the chimney into
the children's shoes on their rides over
the roofs. In due time Black Peter evolved
into an amiable, grinning devil, a kind
of jolly joker who assists the old man
and carries the presents; but he carries
the rod as well, and the sack in which
the .goodies, are brought also serves to
carry away naughty children. In other
words, Black Peter still personifies the
grim elements while Sinterklaas is all
benevolence and dignity.
Today some presents are still "dropped
down the chimney," usually into little
waiting shoes. This custom started in
1427, when the ledgers of the various St.
Nicholas Churches began to show a reg
ular entry every December 6th of three
or four pairs of little shoes containing
some money; these were distributed to
the poor in the name of St. Nicholas.
The custom of giving these shoes with the
hidden treasure is said to have originated
in the old legend in which St. Nick
dr- <oed dowries into the shoes of three
whose mean father had sent
them away to seek their fortune.
Through the centuries Sinterklaas grew
into a popular symbol, recognized by all
Hollanders Catholics, Protestants and
Jews alike. More and more customs were
added to the celebration; famous Dutch
painters, composers and writers have left
us their interpretations, and there are
countless folksongs on the subject. Tradi
tional candies and cookies play an im
portant part; in the famous painting of
the 17th century Dutch master Jan Steen,
for example, one can see the special
taai-taai and speculaas pastries which are
still great favorites during the Sinterklaas
season.
One thing will be of particular interest
to Americans. When the early Dutch
settlers came to America they naturally
brought along their venerated old bishop,
their Sinterklaas. Later, the British intro
duced their Father Christmas the
merry, roly-poly, Falstaffian figure in high
boots. Eventually these two old gentle
men, both commemorated in December,
merged into one. The Father Christmas
figure stuck, but he acquired a Dutch
name Santa Clause derived from
Sinterklaas.
All this goes to show how an old, old
legend can grow into a nation-wide cus
tom. St. Nicholas is so firmly ensconced
in Holland that neither war nor modern
sophistication can ever do away with him.
He has earned his place in Dutch life,
and when December 5 th arrives every
Hollander, young and old, will hail him
as the spirit of family life and Dutch
tradition.
