Only 2 more nights......

And then Sinterklaas and his Black Peters will be arriving in Holland, after a long journey by steamboat all the way from Spain!!!! The tradition goes a long way and it brings this special feeling of excitement! It's the most wonderful time of the year, our Dutch "Christmas".



Sinterklaas is a wonderful man and a friend of all who believe in the magic of Sinterklaas! When he arrives, we always watch television and wait till we see the steamboat arrive. On the shore Amerigo, his horse, is waiting for him. Then he walkes around the town and then he goes and stay at his special house. This is his guesthouse until December 6th, the day he leaves!

I am not sure if Santa appears earlier than December 24th but in Holland all the childeren can put their shoe in front of the fireplace, with a carrot for the horse, and they have to sing a Sinterklaassong, so Sinterklaas can hear them. At night, when they are sleeping, Sinterklaas is strolling on the roof with his Black Peters. Sinterklaas never walkes when he works, Amerigo takes him everywhere he needs to go, Sinterklaas is very old
so he needs to be careful, that's why he is riding Amerigo, because Amerigo knows how to walk on the roof.


In the morning, if they have been good, there is a little something waiting in their shoe! Sinterklaas doesn't have list like Santa (naughty or nice) he has a beautiful red book, in this book all the names of the childeren in Holland are written and Sinterklaas knows who has been good and who has been naughty.


Sinterklaas is also famous for his rhymes! On December 5th (that is our "Christmas Eve) we all wait till Sinterklaas brings the presents and he writes poems for the older childeren and grown ups, usually really funny and long, really long. I usually help Sinterklaas, because I can make really long rhymes!!!

In anticipation for his arrival I made this card! Isn't it a cutie? On the front there is the bag, Black Peter is always carrying which helds sweet candy and gifts!!!! I made a digital stamp and I made Black Peter. He always weares a hat, with a colorful feather, all the hats are different and he weares a white collar!




Nog maar 2 nachtjes slapen en dan komt de Sint weer in het land, samen met zijn Pieten, ik heb voor de Engelse lezers even in het kort verteld wat het betekent! Zo'n ontzettende gezellige tijd van het jaar, waar ik altijd naar uit kijk, het is supergezellig, lekker donker 's avonds en er hangt een speciale sfeer in de lucht.
Ik heb ter ere van zijn komst alvast een leuke kaart gemaakt! Met een zelfgemaakte digitale stempel, het is goed gelukt vind ik! Het is mijn eerste zelfgemaakte Sinterklaaskaart!!