Sunday, December 1, 2013

Dutch culture and tradition



It's Christmas in three weeks time.
 
But first we celebrate Sinterklaas on the fifth.
 
Sinterklaas [sɪntər'klaːs] (or more formally Sint Nicolaas or Sint Nikolaas; Saint Nicolas in French; Sankt Nikolaus in German) is a traditional winter holiday figure still celebrated in the Low Countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as some parts of Germany, French Flanders, Lorraine and Artois. He is also well known in territories of the former Dutch Empire, including Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Indonesia, and Suriname. He is one of the sources of the holiday figure of Santa Claus in North America.[1]
 
Although he is usually referred to as Sinterklaas, he is also known as De Goedheiligman (The Good Holy Man), Sint Nicolaas [sɪnt 'nikolaːs] [About this sound pronunciation ] (Saint Nicholas) or simply as De Sint (The Saint).
 
He is celebrated annually on Saint Nicholas' eve (5 December) in the Netherlands and on the morning of 6 December in the other countries. Originally, the feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas – patron saint of children, sailors, philatelists, and the city of Amsterdam, among others. Sint Nicholas being a bishop and this geographical spread make clear that the feast in this form has a Roman Catholic background, although the papacy has never officially recognized his existence.[citation needed]
 
Closely related figures are also known in German-speaking Europe and territories historically influenced by German culture, including: Switzerland (Samichlaus), Germany and Austria (Sankt Nikolaus); the region of South Tyrol in Italy; Nord-Pas de Calais, Alsace and Lorraine in France – as well as in Luxembourg (De Kleeschen), parts of Central Europe and the Balkans.
 
 

Saturday, June 15, 2013

E-bike

 
This was on his wishlist for a very long time.
 
It's an early birthday present, but at least P. can enjoy his electric bike now.
 
Life it too short to postpone things you really want to do or have.

 
Fifteen miles in thirty minutes.
 
But most important: a happy almost 63 years old child.
****

Monday, January 28, 2013

Royal news


 
Tonight queen Beatrix (75) - unexpectedly - announced her abdication.
 
After three queens we'll have a king again. His name is Willem Alexander.
 
The crowning will take place in Amsterdam on April 30th (the birthday of our late queen Juliana, the grandmother of our future king).
 
Vivre la republique!!
*****