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Full Version: Pondering: Dec 5th
Just wondering if anybody here in Europe knows anything about December 5th and what goes on then. Apperently i've been brought up with this mini tradition that when you put a pair of shoes or slipper under the living room window you would get a small gift. I'm just tryin to find out which area of Europe this effects? Like from where to where and how if it has a history .
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Really? Were you or your parents originally from europe?
Anyway, I assume you're talking about Sinterklaas. At least, that's what we Dutch celibrate on Dec 5th/6th.
A quick google found this:
http://www-astro.physics.ox.ac.uk/~erik/sint/sint.html
Basically some senile old guy on a horse comes in by steamboat and sends his minions (pieten) down chimneys and, nowadays, central heating pipes, who put presents in the shoes of the children, often taking out the carrot that was in them. The carrot is for the horse, because Sinterklaas cannot afford to feed it himself after buying all those presents. He also supposedly kidnaps kids that have been bad into his bag and takes them back to Spain.
I say "supposedly" because the dutch intelligence agency has never been able to find any solid leads on him. They do, however, have several undercover-pieten in his service.
Our defense departement is also very interested in him, because he appears to have advanced anti-gravity and spacetime-compression devices. This is, of course, the only explanation to why he and his horse can walk on roofs and his minions can fit through our chimneys and central heating pipes.
Anyway, I assume you're talking about Sinterklaas. At least, that's what we Dutch celibrate on Dec 5th/6th.
A quick google found this:
http://www-astro.physics.ox.ac.uk/~erik/sint/sint.html
Basically some senile old guy on a horse comes in by steamboat and sends his minions (pieten) down chimneys and, nowadays, central heating pipes, who put presents in the shoes of the children, often taking out the carrot that was in them. The carrot is for the horse, because Sinterklaas cannot afford to feed it himself after buying all those presents. He also supposedly kidnaps kids that have been bad into his bag and takes them back to Spain.
I say "supposedly" because the dutch intelligence agency has never been able to find any solid leads on him. They do, however, have several undercover-pieten in his service.
Our defense departement is also very interested in him, because he appears to have advanced anti-gravity and spacetime-compression devices. This is, of course, the only explanation to why he and his horse can walk on roofs and his minions can fit through our chimneys and central heating pipes.
eh? never heard of that 
I have heard about people hanging their socks above the fireplace... but shoes?!
I have heard about people hanging their socks above the fireplace... but shoes?!
I have 2 Present givings. One on Christmas Day and another 12 days later.
The Orthodox church don't celebrate tbe giving of gifts until the day that the 3 Wise Men came and gave their gifts of Gold Frankinscence and Myhrr.
The Orthodox church don't celebrate tbe giving of gifts until the day that the 3 Wise Men came and gave their gifts of Gold Frankinscence and Myhrr.
@ Mike.nl: Well that explains quite a bit. So its also celebrated in Netherlands, Slovakia and Czech Republic, Germany, Turkey, and England or most of Europe? Ya my parents are European and thats the reason why i'm so obsessed with Slovakia so much. Last time I did this was last december and I got a Ferrari key chain, Ferrari shirt, slippers, Spider-man 2 DVD and uh.....chocolate 
Ya my parents are European and thats the reason why i'm so obsessed with Slovakia so much. Last time I did this was last december and I got a Ferrari key chain, Ferrari shirt, slippers, Spider-man 2 DVD and uh.....chocolate
December 5th is dutch, not anything else, only dutch.
And I ma proud to be dutch because of that
And I ma proud to be dutch because of that
I believe its the official St. Nicholas day isn't it?
Yup, Belgium, Luxembourgh, Netherlands, Germany do this, and maybe some other countries as well.
Neat stuff. Just a few more days and I can find out who got what out of curiosity
In Belgium you have even two rivals. Sinterklaas en Sint Maarten. I think Sint Maarten is something that only happens in a few regions of Belgium. My dad lives in Gent and I live in Dendermonde (both cities) so when I was young I got presents on both occasions.
Some toher stuf:
when I was young the neighbors always came to throw little nic nac-cookies (little cookies in the form of letters, or with sugar on top of them) through the door, only exposing their hand in a black glove. My dad then went on doing the same thing with the neighbors their kids. That way the kids would'nt find out the parents gave the presents.
the candy
I also learned that you had to put a carrot in one shoe and a glass of milk (for the minion) next to the fire place.
There were a lot of Television shows made about sinterklaas in Belgium and the Netherlands. The most notable was 'dag sinterklaas' ('hi sinterklaas')There were only 20 episodes and were broadcasted for the first time in 1993 with reruns who get popular every year. The series is so good that lots of people my age (22) and a little younger stil watch every episode this year.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149438/
Some toher stuf:
when I was young the neighbors always came to throw little nic nac-cookies (little cookies in the form of letters, or with sugar on top of them) through the door, only exposing their hand in a black glove. My dad then went on doing the same thing with the neighbors their kids. That way the kids would'nt find out the parents gave the presents.
the candy
I also learned that you had to put a carrot in one shoe and a glass of milk (for the minion) next to the fire place.
There were a lot of Television shows made about sinterklaas in Belgium and the Netherlands. The most notable was 'dag sinterklaas' ('hi sinterklaas')There were only 20 episodes and were broadcasted for the first time in 1993 with reruns who get popular every year. The series is so good that lots of people my age (22) and a little younger stil watch every episode this year.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149438/
@ Kar, 8 more days and also damn so many ways to celebrate
The Dutch are busy too - shopping for, and more importantly, making presents. Tradition demands that all packages be camouflaged in some imaginative way, and that every gift be accompanied by a fitting poem. This is the essence of Sinterklaas: lots of fun on a day when people are not only allowed, but expected, to make fun of each other in a friendly way. Children, parents, teachers, employers and employees, friends and co-workers tease each other and make fun of each others' habits and mannerisms.
Another part of the fun is how presents are hidden or disguised. Recipients often have to go on a treasure hunt all over the house, aided by hints, to look for them. They must be prepared to dig their gifts out of the potato bin, to find them in a jello pudding, in a glove filled with wet sand, in some crazy dummy or doll. Working hard for your presents and working even harder to think up other peoples' presents and get them ready is what the fun is all about.Sounds like fun
That time was the wikipedia. Interesting so all those places have fun with the small (or maybe large) celebration
Now whats that celebration you get whipped by a paper whip on the rear end and get money, candy, beer, or whatever?
QUOTE
The Dutch are busy too - shopping for, and more importantly, making presents. Tradition demands that all packages be camouflaged in some imaginative way, and that every gift be accompanied by a fitting poem. This is the essence of Sinterklaas: lots of fun on a day when people are not only allowed, but expected, to make fun of each other in a friendly way. Children, parents, teachers, employers and employees, friends and co-workers tease each other and make fun of each others' habits and mannerisms.
Another part of the fun is how presents are hidden or disguised. Recipients often have to go on a treasure hunt all over the house, aided by hints, to look for them. They must be prepared to dig their gifts out of the potato bin, to find them in a jello pudding, in a glove filled with wet sand, in some crazy dummy or doll. Working hard for your presents and working even harder to think up other peoples' presents and get them ready is what the fun is all about.
QUOTE
Celebration in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland
That time was the wikipedia. Interesting so all those places have fun with the small (or maybe large) celebration
Now whats that celebration you get whipped by a paper whip on the rear end and get money, candy, beer, or whatever?
searching for presents? making fun of each other?
Never heard of that. The presents are always next to the fire place. On eastern you have to go look for the presents and the chocolate eggs. Not on sinterklaas. And for making fun of each other, that is so wrong.
wiki seems to be awfully wrong here. The horse is named slechtweervandaag (translated: badweathertoday). And only children get presents. after that adults only buy the chocolate figures. Sometimes there will be an audit (or the like) where a sinterklaas comes to a factory and all the workers can bring their children where they get a present (payed by the boss of the factory). That's about all I know.
Next to all the children's songs.
Never heard of that. The presents are always next to the fire place. On eastern you have to go look for the presents and the chocolate eggs. Not on sinterklaas. And for making fun of each other, that is so wrong.
wiki seems to be awfully wrong here. The horse is named slechtweervandaag (translated: badweathertoday). And only children get presents. after that adults only buy the chocolate figures. Sometimes there will be an audit (or the like) where a sinterklaas comes to a factory and all the workers can bring their children where they get a present (payed by the boss of the factory). That's about all I know.
Next to all the children's songs.
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