Holland's version of Santa Claus: Sinterklaas

The Sinterklaas Journaal (Saint Nicholas News) is on television every year, and children can watch it three days before Saint Nicholas arrives in the Netherlands in November, until it ends on 4 December. It begins after another programme that is called: ’sesamestreet’. Children can see what Saint Nicholas experiences. When Saint Nicholas arrives in The Netherlands on Saturday at 12 am, there’s a really long episode from the Saint Nicholasjournal with live coverage.

Presenter Diewertje Blok and reporter Jeroen Kramer are presenting the entry.

A normal episode consists of:

- Main topics (usually three)

- Short news

- Black Peet weather

Every Sunday there’s a weekly review and after the last episode, there’s a year review.

Tessa Meulens, class 2vb, Adelbert College.

Saint Nicholas at schools.

Every year when Saint Nicholas is in Holland, he also visits schools. He goes from school to school on his horse, Amerigo, to make children happy with presents (if they’ve been nice, and didn’t do any bad things, if they did, they’ll take you in their big bags). His helpers, Zwarte pieten (Black Peets), throw with sweets and pepernoten (peppernuts, they are like little biscuits) to the children. All of them love the peppernuts, they are delicious! Every kid is really greatful when he pulls the paper of his presents, and they show that with singing Saint- Nicholas songs for him and his helpers.

Michelle Schreuder, Tessa Meulens, Maarten Konings, Omar van der Hulst, class 2vb, Adelbert College

Activities in Holland around Sinterklaas

yesterday on Sunday we baked pepernuts and I can tell you they where delicious.

On five December we celebrated Saint Nicholas. It was a nice party because we got a lot of presents.

Here is some information about the food that we eat on Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas comes 3 weeks before the fifth of December. Than the black petes throw with sweats at kids and the kids are very happy with those sweets

Here are some things that we eat with Saint Nicholas:

· Pepernuts

· Choclateletters

· Marsepijn

· Pepernuts covered with choclate

· Tai tai dolls

· Kruidnoten

· Choclate money

If you want to make pepernuts yourself with your class or with friends you can go to this site www.sinterklaasrecepten.nl/recept_pepernoten.htm

For more information or if you want to make yourself chocolate letters, you can go to this site

www.chocoladeletter.nl

Joost, Daan, Gilian and Ilse

Here is an episode of the Sinterklaas News

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj8c06LBSgs

Dutch songs

Here are some Dutch Christmas songs. First in Dutch, then explained in English.

1

Stille nacht, heilige nacht,
alles slaapt, sluimert zacht,
Eenzaam waakt het hoogheilige paar,
lieflijk Kindje met goud in het haar,
Sluimert in hemelse rust,
sluimert in hemelse rust.

Stille nacht, heilige nacht,
Zoon van God! liefde lacht
vriendelijk om uwe godelijken mond.
Nu ons slaat de reddende stond,
Jezus, van uwe geboort',
Jezus, van uwe geboort'!

Stille nacht, heilige nacht,
herders zien 't eerst uw pracht;
door der engelen alleluja
galmt het luide van verre en na:
Jezus, de redder, ligt daar,
Jezus, de redder, ligt daar.

Translation in English

Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
round yon Virgin Mother and Child.
Holy Infant so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight,
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav'nly hosts sing alleluia;
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

What does it mean?

It’s the evening when Jesus Christ is born. The shepherds, Angels and Jozef and Maria are around the barn. Jesus, the lord is born! It’s a really festive evening because the son of God is born. Jesus sleeps in silence.

2

Er is een kindeke geboren op aard
Er is een kindeke geboren op aard
't Kwam op de aarde voor ons allemaal
't Kwam op de aarde voor ons allemaal

't Kwam op de aarde en 't had er geen huis
't Kwam op de aarde en 't had er geen huis
't Kwam op de aarde en 't droeg al zijn Kruis
't Kwam op de aarde en 't droeg al zijn Kruis

Er is een Kindeke geboren in 't strooi
Er is een Kindeke geboren in 't strooi
't Lag in een kribbe, bedekt met wat hooi
't Lag in een kribbe, bedekt met wat hooi
Jezus, de redder, ligt daar.

English translation:

There is a little child born on earth
There is a little child born on earth
It came on the earth for us all
It came on the earth for us all
It came on the earth and it had no home
It came on the earth and it had no home
It came on the earth and it bore all his Cross
It came on the earth and it bore all his Cross

There was a young child born in 't stray
There was a young child born in 't stray
'T Was in a manger, some covered with hay
'T Was in a manger, some covered with hay
Jesus, the savior, is there

What does it mean?

When its Christmas we celebrated that Jesus Christ is born, that’s what this song is about. the song tells us that when he was born, he had no house and was born in the hay. From the outset it was clear that he would save us and then he will die.

Here you can listen to the songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLbdO05MxFI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfiC9H2Q7JY

Marsha, Fu ke and Anouk

Xmas in Poprad

TRADITIONAL SLOVAK XMAS COOKIES

http://eblog-gingerbreads.blogspot.com/

Holiday Greetings from Holland

At the Adelbert College in Wassenaar, the Netherlands, class 2Vb is working well on gathering information that has to do with Saint Nicholas. As you may know, in the Netherlands we do not only celebrate Christmas, but also the birthday of Saint Nicholas (December 6). The pupils of 2Vb will tell you all about it.

Have fun!

ADVENT WREATH

These days people in Slovakia are buying or making their own advent wreath and will light the first candle on the 28th November.

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Poprad, Slovakia