St Nicholas
When Wingnut's mum and husband visited this weekend, they reminded us to put our shoes out for St Nicholas. If you're expecting presents from St Nicholas, you should also provide a carrot for the horse, which we did. You have to sing for him as well, which they did. I say "they" because my contribution consisted of the first lines, la la la, oh I know this bit!, and hum, hum, hum. Happily, the good Saint found that acceptable and my shoe was full the next morning too.
St Nicholas had to make a bit of a detour to London. Generally, he travels from where he lives in Spain to stay in the Netherlands for two weeks. Try telling this to Spanish people however and they'll look at you like you're nuts. But what do they know.
The Saint has Black Petes as helpers (it used to be one but they've been spawning). Unfortunately, the daily St Nicholas News on Nederland 3 announced that a calamity had befallen the Black Petes this year. The Petes' House had been demolished and they had nowhere to live. Children were asked to show their willingness to have a homeless Pete stay a night with them by chalking a circle on their house. Or a cross if they didn't want one.
The Ministry of Housing obligingly sprouted a circle and, the following day, a Black Pete was interviewed on the St Nicholas News about their stay there. The obvious question is whether the Ministry of Immigration had a cross on it, but I don't know.
The story goes on, but there's no room for that here. Anyway, this kind of creativity is why I love this festival so much. Next year I'm going to have a party and make everyone write St Nicholas rhymes...
St Nicholas had to make a bit of a detour to London. Generally, he travels from where he lives in Spain to stay in the Netherlands for two weeks. Try telling this to Spanish people however and they'll look at you like you're nuts. But what do they know.
The Saint has Black Petes as helpers (it used to be one but they've been spawning). Unfortunately, the daily St Nicholas News on Nederland 3 announced that a calamity had befallen the Black Petes this year. The Petes' House had been demolished and they had nowhere to live. Children were asked to show their willingness to have a homeless Pete stay a night with them by chalking a circle on their house. Or a cross if they didn't want one.
The Ministry of Housing obligingly sprouted a circle and, the following day, a Black Pete was interviewed on the St Nicholas News about their stay there. The obvious question is whether the Ministry of Immigration had a cross on it, but I don't know.
The story goes on, but there's no room for that here. Anyway, this kind of creativity is why I love this festival so much. Next year I'm going to have a party and make everyone write St Nicholas rhymes...