Today I'm going to tell you guys about some Belgian culture. Have you ever heard of Sinterklaas? Probably not (unless you're European). It's a person similar to Santa Claus. We have both Sinterklaas en Santa Claus. Most children just say "de Sint" so I'll refer to him that way. De Sint is a Spanish old man who brings every child who was good that year a present on the night of the fifth of October, Because the 6th it's his birthday.. He rides a horse called "slecht weer vandaag" (which means bad weather today). In the Belgian TV-show of de Sint (yes, he has his very own TV show) they say that his horse which is white is called that way because the day de Sint got it the weather was very bad and it was raining with thunder and lightning and stuff. (How creative) And he doesn't make the present himself he's to old for that. So just like santa he has "helpers" or cruel said slaves. Like Santa has elves as helpers de Sint has black people. (This may sound like racist to you, but that's just the way the story says and it's generally accepted here. It's NOT my opinion that black people should be slaves. DONT take tis offensively. Oh, and they volunteer to help him) And those helpers make the presents and go through the chimney.
And december 5th children have to "hun schoen zetten". They have to take a shoe and put a carot and a piece of sugar in it (for the horse) and beer (for de Sint) and cookies (for "Zwarte piet" that's how the helpers are called) And in exchange for that they get a present if they were nice that year.
Please comment.
-Tess
Ps. guys, since tomorrow there's going to be a huge snowfall here I am going to get outside with my sister's camera and make pictures. I promise to post some pictures of those soon, so you can enjoy the landscape. And feel sorry for me that I had to be in that snow.
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