K ad u Holandiji mračne je- senje noći počnu duže da traju, u vazduhu se oseća nešto posebno – ne, nije još uvek vreme za Božić, ali počinje vreme magije. To je vreme Sinterklaasa, jedne od najdražih i naj- živopisnijih holandskih tradicija. Legenda kaže da Sinterklaas (Sve- ti Nikola) svake godine dolazi iz Špa- nije brodom, preko mora i da potom putuje po gradovima i selima, dele- ći deci poklone. Početak manifestacija u mnogim mestima vezan je za prvu subotu posle 11. novembra (ove godi- ne to je 15. novembar), kada se odr- žava „intocht“ – svečani doček Sinter- klaasa, najčešće uz povorku, muziku i publiku koja ga pozdravlja na kana- lima ili obalama reke. U Amsterdamu je ulazak Sinterklaasa jedna od najpo- sećenijih manifestacija – delovi gra- da uz kanal postanu pozornica za ples lampiona, muziku, uzbuđenje dece koja čekaju iza ograde. Cela proslava traje nekoliko ne- delja. U školama, vrtićima, tržnim centrima – gotovo na svakom ćoš- ku – pojavljuju se figure Sinterklaasa i njegovih pomoćnika. Deca stavlja- ju svoje cipele (ili papučice) pored ka- mina ili vrata, pevaju pesmice i ostav- ljaju šargarepu ili hranu za Dedinog konja. U zamenu, uveče dobiju ma- le poklone – slatkiše, čokoladice, kek- siće zvane pepernoten ili kruidnoten. Jedan od omiljenih običaja je pisanje „surprise“ – šaljivih pesama ili poru- ka priloženih paketiću koji skriva ne- ku sitnicu. Glavni dan je 5. decembar, poznat kao „pakjesavond“ (veče po- klona). To je trenutak kada se daro- vi razmenjuju i čitaju pesmice u kru- gu prijatelja i porodice. Sledećeg dana slavi se 6. decembar, Dan Svetog Ni- kole, i obeležava se kao završetak ve- ličanstvene proslave. (Kako se u Srbiji slavi Sveti Nikola, pisaćemo u decem- barskom izdanju).
W hen the dark evenings of au- tumn length- en in the Neth- erlands, you can feel something special brewing in the air — no, it’s not yet Christmas, but the period of festive magic is be- ginning. This is the time of Sinterk- laas, one of the country’s most be- loved and flamboyant traditions. According to legend, Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) arrives in the Netherlands every year by boat, crossing the sea from Spain, after which he tours the country’s towns and villages, pre- senting gifts to children. The start of these events in many places is con- nected to the first Saturday after 11 th November (this year it will be 15 th November), when the nation com- memorates “intocht” (entry) – a fes- tive welcome to Sinterklaas, usually encompassing a procession, mu- sic and an audience that greets him along canals or riverbanks. The ar- rival of Sinterklaas in Amsterdam is one of the best-attended happenings — when parts of the city alongside its canals set the stage for dancing
lanterns, music and excited children waiting behind barriers. The entire celebration runs for sev- eral weeks. The figure of Sinterklaas and his helpers appear in schools, nurseries and shopping centres – and on almost every street corner. Children place their shoes (or slip- pers) beside the fireplace or the door, sing songs and set aside carrots or food for Santa’s horse. They receive small gifts in return, which appear in the evening hours and come in the form of sweets, chocolates, or special cookies called pepernoten or kruid- noten. One of the most beloved cus- toms is writing so-called “surprises” — humorous poems or messages at- tached to a package containing some small gift. This holiday’s main event takes place on 5th December, known as "Pakjesavond" (package evening), when gifts are exchanged and poems are read among friends and fami- ly. The following day is Saint Nicho- las’s Day, marking the culmination of this grand celebration. (We will write about the way Saint Nicholas is celebrated in Serbia for our Decem- ber issue).
Tekst / Words: Vanja Filipović Fotografije / Photography: Profimedia.rs
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