
December 6 is St. Nicholas Day. In Holland, he is called Sinter Klaas (Santa Claus). He arrives in a boat dressed in his red bishop's robes along with his servant called Black Peter. When they come ashore, all the church bells ring. He then, on a white horse, leads a procession to meet the Queen in the palace.
The night before, December 5, children leave clogs or shoes out to be filled with gifts. Like our children who leave treats for the reindeer, the Dutch children also leave carrots for the horse. Black Peter is the keeper of the naughty-nice list.
Rather than the North Pole, Dutch tradition says that Sinter Klaas lives in Spain. I guess he prefers a warmer climate than our Santa.
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