Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1948-12-16
St. Nicholas Day In The Netherlands
BIZ c. Tilahman Lang

To the average American, the
9th of December invoked no spe-
cial interest, but to the people of
the Netherlands, it marked a date
of unique significance-the 9th of
December or st. Nicholas Day.
This is the day when that veneer
able parsonage, better known in
our country as Santa Claus, makes
his annual visitation to the chill
dren of the Low Countries and
surreptitiously bestows gifts on
his youthful admirers. The grown
ups, too, exchange gifts on this
day in sympathetic recognition of
his benevolence, and the occasion
is further celebrated with special
feasts and convivial gatherings in
the homes throughout the country.
This is not premature appear
ance of their Christmas Eve visit
or. Christmas is observed by the
Dutch purely as a religious festi-
val, so it is only the 9Th of Deem
Der which is set apart for the ex-
changing of gifts and the time of
st. Nicholas. Adults customarily
open their gifts on st. Nicholas
Eve, whereas the little children,
on that evening, place their wood
en- shoes, or "klompen," filled with
food, by the fireplace as an offer
ing to st. Nicholas when he de-
sends the chimney that night,
and as a convenient receptacle for
the gifts which he is certain to
leave for them. The children an
ticipate his coming not unlike the
children of our own country, and
their uncommon goodness just
prior to this event reflects the
similar consciousness which they
have of his vigilant eye for those
most deserving of gifts.
The exact origin of st. Nicholas
is yelled in legend and obscure
history, but it is generally conced-
ed that he was one of the early
bishops of the Church, and for
long time has been known as the
protector and benefactor of chill
dren. Accordingly, st. Nicholas is
depicted to the Dutch people as
wearing purple robes and bish-
ops inter, and, instead of travel
ing about in sleigh drawn by
eight tiny reindeer, as our Santa
Claus is accustomed, he uses the
more conventional conveyance,
horse-drawn carriage. Further
more, he does not come from the
North Pole, but from somewhere
in the region of Spain. st. Nicho-
las is usually accompanied by his
colored servant boy, BLACK Pc
ter" and if little children do not
behave themselves, they are faced
with the unhappy threat of being
carried off to far country by this
lad.
The Sunday preceding st. Mich
olas' Day is generally marked by
pageant. l was in the Neither
lands during the winter of 1914
and on the afternoon of such a
Sunday in the city of Maastricht,
the streets were damned with chill
dren eager to catch a glimpse of
st. Nicholas as he rode by in his
carriage. 1t was further my privi-
lege that same season to be invit-
ed to st. Nicholas Eve celebra-
ton at the home of a Dutch fam
lily. The spirit of this occasion was
very similar to family Christmas
celebration here in the United
States, though the Christmas tree
and the red and green color scheme
were notably lacking. After a
generous repast, there was the
opening of myriad gifts = some
large, some small, some serious,
some humorous, and each accom-
panied with a note of original
verse. "Black Peter" also was
tnere. Inc family had made an
effigy of him from a clothes tree,
and number of the novelty gifts
were hung on it in very much the
same manner as gifts are hung on
Christmas tree.
Following this climax of the
events of the evening, pipes and
cigars were lit and glasses filed,
and the party relaxed into jovial
conversation until time for the
guests to depart. Meanwhile, the
younger children, after placing
their "klompen" by the fireplace,
were hurried off to bed, for to
them their biggest moment still lay