Dutch term – Sinterklaas

Sinterklaas is the Dutch name for Saint Nicholas. The American tradition of Santa Claus stems from the Dutch celebrating Sinterklaas.

What Sinterklaas and Santa Claus have in common is their love for children and sharing gifts. But it is interesting to compare the differences in the traditions:

Sinterklaas Santa Claus
Feast day December 5th (St. Nicholas’ Eve) December 25th
Mode of transportation Arrives on a steamship. Uses a horse to get around after he arrives. Sleigh pulled by Reindeer
Most famous animal helper His grey horse Amerigo Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
Residence the rest of the year Spain North Pole
Married? No, he’s a bishop Yes, to Mrs. Claus
Helpers ‘Zwarte Pieten’ [black Petes] Elves
Puts gifts in Shoes that children leave by the chimney. The shoes will be filled with carrots or other treats for Amerigo, or a drawing for Sinterklaas and the Pieten. Socks hanging from the chimney
Bad children receive a birching coal

In my family, we are big fans of Sinterklaas. My grandfather used to be a ‘hulpsinterklaas’ [helper Sinterklaas]. One of my favorite home movies is of my grandfather as Sinterklaas with me as a baby in his lap.

Does your family celebrate Sinterklaas? Please share your family’s Sinterklaas traditions in the comments.

About Yvette Hoitink

Yvette Hoitink, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist in the Netherlands. She holds the Certified Genealogist credential from the Board for Certification of Genealogists and has a post-graduate diploma in Family and Local History from the University of Dundee. She has been doing genealogy for over 30 years and helps people from across the world find their ancestors in the Netherlands. Read about Yvette's professional genealogy services.

Comments

  1. The date of the Sinterklaasfeest is on December 6!
    Everybody seams to forget the real date if his Birthday because it switched more and more, for some unknown reason to me, on to the evening before!
    Gelukkig Sinterklaasfeest ☺
    Irma

  2. Irma, in Nederland wordt Sinterklaas echt op 5 december gevierd. 6 december was volgens mij overigens zijn overlijdensdatum, niet zijn verjaardag. In België en (net over de grens iig) Duitsland wordt Sinterklaas inderdaad op 6 december gevierd.
    Fijne feestdagen 😉
    Vincent

  3. Geerit J. Stemerdink says

    De meer correcte oudere naam voor de avond van 5 december is ‘St Nicolaasavond’. Dat is de avond vóór de dag van St. Nicolaas op 6 december. Op dezelfde manier hebben we het over Kerstavond als de avond voor de Kerst. De gewoonte was dat kinderen op die avond een kous ophingen bij de schouw en dat ze die op 6 december ‘s ochtends gevuld vonden. Overigens maken we een enorme fout door in allerlei liedjes te zingen dat Sinterklaas jarig is. Zoals met vrijwel alle heiligen is zijn sterfdag de naamdag geworden. Zit een zekere logica in, want dat is de dag dat men naar de hemel ging en heilig kon worden. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan de naamdag van Maria op 15 augustus, dat is de dag van Maria Hemelvaart.

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