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Sint

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The snow is falling and every year around this time (it seems it is starting sooner and sooner) people begin to see pictures of a fat man with a white beard in a red suit. The Netherlands too have such a man but he is slightly different than the one we are thinking of.

Sinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure in the Netherlands. He is celebrated annually on Saint Nicholas' eve (5 December). Originally, the feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of Amsterdam, children and sailors. Today, since celebrating saints' feast days is an uncommon phenomenon in the traditionally Protestant Netherlands, the Dutch celebrate at the 5th of December, his reputed birthday. He is the basis of the mythical holiday figure of Santa Claus in the United States.

Sinterklaas is his usual name. The more formal name is Sint Nicolaas or Sint Nikolaas. He is also known as Goedheiligman or simply Sint. The Dutch write Sinterklaas. (looks alot like Santa Claus doesn't it) So the Dutch don't December 25th as anything special; no pine trees and no connection with Jesus. Keyword from the last paragraph - Mythical - holiday figure. Makes you wonder what his connection with Jesus' birthday is anyway.

Now for the fun part. I found a Dutch horror movie that came out about St. Nicholas. Here's the synopsis thanks to imdb.com ---A horror film that depicts St. Nicholas as a murderous bishop who kidnaps and murders children when there is a full moon on December 5. --- See, supposedly he was born on December 6th but this movie goes on the premise that really he was murdered on the 6th! So he's out to get revenge (of course). Here is the trailer in Dutch with English subtitles. Trailer What a neat sounding language.

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