I was born in the Netherlands in the days when Christmas was still celebrated purely as a religious day, and entirely separate from St. Nicholas Day which comes three weeks earlier. It was on Saint Nicholas Eve that we would receive gifts, and eat special treats, and not on Christmas Day.
I remember the year I was four and a half, and in kindergarten. Saint Nicholas was a very big deal! The whole town went down to the harbour to welcome Saint Nicholas. Everyone waved their flags - both Orange and the red, white and blue striped Dutch flags - as the decorated barge sailed into the port. We all strained to look. And then there he finally was - Saint Nicholas, splendid in his red and white robes, sitting on a majestic white horse, and surrounded by his Moorish helpers.
Saint Nicholas came to visit our school, and he sat down on a chair in the middle of the large room. I'm not sure if it was the gymnasium, or another room, but in my memory it was very big and round. All the school children sat on the floor around him. Saint Nicholas would point to a child and have them come up and sit on his lap and sing one of the popular Saint Nicholas ditties. I've always been extremely shy, and the thought of being singled out to come up there absolutely terrified me, so I made myself as small as possible, hiding behind the person in front of me, almost laying flat on the floor. I was so relieved he never noticed me!
Our class had made special boxes to be put out for Saint Nicholas, so we could receive a small gift. The boxes were printed out on stiff card, but we didn't have scissors. We had to meticulously use a needle to poke rows of holes along al the printed lines with a large needle. Then we'd punch out the box, and fold it into shape. Somehow I can't imagine four and five year olds being asked to do that nowadays. I remember Saint Nicholas left an orange and a ball for me.
In the evening at home, we put our wooden shoes under the Christmas Tree. We had filled them with hay for his horse. We had a small real tree, filled with real candles, and we watched in awe as they were lit. The candles were put out and we went to bed. In the morning I remember a set of beautiful foil-wrapped chocolate tools in my wooden shoes! I guess someone knew even then that I liked making things! That was the last Saint Nicholas Day I spent in the Netherlands, as we immigrated to Canada the following spring. For many years, my parents continued with the Saint Nicholas Eve traditions, until eventually moving the gift-giving to Christmas.
To this day many Dutch people still give chocolate letters and bake special gingerbread treats at Saint Nicholas.
I remember the year I was four and a half, and in kindergarten. Saint Nicholas was a very big deal! The whole town went down to the harbour to welcome Saint Nicholas. Everyone waved their flags - both Orange and the red, white and blue striped Dutch flags - as the decorated barge sailed into the port. We all strained to look. And then there he finally was - Saint Nicholas, splendid in his red and white robes, sitting on a majestic white horse, and surrounded by his Moorish helpers.
Saint Nicholas came to visit our school, and he sat down on a chair in the middle of the large room. I'm not sure if it was the gymnasium, or another room, but in my memory it was very big and round. All the school children sat on the floor around him. Saint Nicholas would point to a child and have them come up and sit on his lap and sing one of the popular Saint Nicholas ditties. I've always been extremely shy, and the thought of being singled out to come up there absolutely terrified me, so I made myself as small as possible, hiding behind the person in front of me, almost laying flat on the floor. I was so relieved he never noticed me!
Our class had made special boxes to be put out for Saint Nicholas, so we could receive a small gift. The boxes were printed out on stiff card, but we didn't have scissors. We had to meticulously use a needle to poke rows of holes along al the printed lines with a large needle. Then we'd punch out the box, and fold it into shape. Somehow I can't imagine four and five year olds being asked to do that nowadays. I remember Saint Nicholas left an orange and a ball for me.
In the evening at home, we put our wooden shoes under the Christmas Tree. We had filled them with hay for his horse. We had a small real tree, filled with real candles, and we watched in awe as they were lit. The candles were put out and we went to bed. In the morning I remember a set of beautiful foil-wrapped chocolate tools in my wooden shoes! I guess someone knew even then that I liked making things! That was the last Saint Nicholas Day I spent in the Netherlands, as we immigrated to Canada the following spring. For many years, my parents continued with the Saint Nicholas Eve traditions, until eventually moving the gift-giving to Christmas.
To this day many Dutch people still give chocolate letters and bake special gingerbread treats at Saint Nicholas.
One of my favourite Saint Nicholas treats is 'Gefulde Speculaas', or Almond-Filled Gingerbread. *To download the recipe, just click on the photo below.....
Many years ago I made a Saint Nicholas figure, with head and hands sculpted of polymer clay. My husband puts him out every year. When I started collecting BJDs, I thought I'd take some doll photos with my Saint Nicholas figure, as he was pretty close in scale. I didn't have any black dolls to dress as his Moorish servants, so decided to make elf outfits for my smallest dolls, and let them help Saint Nicholas instead. Not exactly "traditional", but with Christmas stories continually changing and evolving over time, who cares?
The photo at the beginning of this post was taken the year I had just two tiny dolls - an Iplehouse Elin BID and my little Kaye Wiggs Cinnamon. Each year the number of little elf helpers has grown. Last year he had five - Elin and Cinnamon had been joined by Nami, Byuri, and Tillie......
The photo at the beginning of this post was taken the year I had just two tiny dolls - an Iplehouse Elin BID and my little Kaye Wiggs Cinnamon. Each year the number of little elf helpers has grown. Last year he had five - Elin and Cinnamon had been joined by Nami, Byuri, and Tillie......
This year two more have joined the group - Erzulie, and Bonnie, who should be coming home very soon. I guess I better make them some elf outfits too! Or at least some hats and collars.
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