Country: Netherlands, Flanders - "Sinterklaas and Black Peter"
Sinterklaas is the Dutch version of Santa Claus. With his traditional red costume, flowing white beard, and all-around jolly demeanor, he closely resembles the more famous North American Santa, and many have claimed that he is the biggest influence in the creation of the modern day Saint Nick. Unlike Santa, Sinterklaas comes to the Netherlands ever year in late November. He is said to arrive by steamboat from Spain, and after landing he is paraded through the city streets so that he can greet all the Dutch children. Sinterklaas doesn't use elves, but is instead assisted by Black Peter, a little boy who helps him hand out presents. There are many versions of how Black Peter came to work with Sinterklaas, some of them quite controversial. In the earliest telling, he was Sinterklaas's black servant boy or even his slave, but other versions state that he is a type of demon. Because of the racist overtones of the old Black Peter stories, in recent years his background has been rewritten, and he is now often described as being a chimney sweep.
Gift-Giving Style:
Unlike Santa, Sinterklaas brings
children gifts on the fifth of December,
a holiday designed to celebrate
the historical figure of St. Nicholas.
Children place their shoes
by their fireplace, along with
some carrots for Sinterklaas's horse,
and if they've been good, there
will be candy and presents in the shoes come morning. Sinterklaas doesn't leave the gifts himself; instead, Black Peter climbs down the chimney with presents for the good kids and coal or bags of salt for those who were naughty. In older versions of the legend, Black Peter would kidnap the worst of the children and take them away to Spain as punishment.