Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas | |
---|---|
Known for | Delivering gifts to children on St Nicholas' Eve |
Sinterklaas (Dutch: [ˌsɪntərˈklaːs]) or Sint-Nicolaas (Dutch: [sɪnt ˈnikoːlaːs] ⓘ) is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Other Dutch names for the figure include De Sint ("The Saint"), De Goede Sint ("The Good Saint") and De Goedheiligman ("The Good Holy Man"). Many descendants and cognates of "Sinterklaas" or "Saint Nicholas" in other languages are also used in the Low Countries, nearby regions, and former Dutch colonies.[note 1]
The feast of Sinterklaas celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas on 6 December. The feast is celebrated annually with the giving of gifts on St. Nicholas' Eve (5 December) in the Netherlands and on the morning of 6 December, Saint Nicholas Day, Belgium, Luxembourg, western Germany, northern France (French Flanders, Lorraine, Alsace and Artois), Romania, Poland and Hungary. The tradition is also celebrated in some territories of the former Dutch Empire, including Aruba.[citation needed]
Sinterklaas is one of the sources of the popular Christmas icon of Santa Claus (Santa=Sinter, Claus=Klaas).[1][2]
Figures
Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas is based on the historical figure of Saint Nicholas (270–343), a Greek bishop of
He traditionally rides a white horse. In the Netherlands, the last horse was called Amerigo, but he was "pensioned" (i.e., died) in 2019 and replaced with a new horse called Ozosnel ("oh so fast"), after a passage in a well-known Sinterklaas song.[4] In Belgium, the horse is named Slecht weer vandaag, meaning "bad weather today"[5] or Mooi weer vandaag ("nice weather today").[6]
Sinterklaas carries a big, red book which records whether each child has been good or naughty in the past year.[7]
Zwarte Piet
Sinterklaas is assisted by Zwarte Piet ("Black Pete"), a helper dressed in Moorish attire and in blackface. Zwarte Piet first appeared in print as the nameless servant of Saint Nicholas in Sint-Nikolaas en zijn knecht ("St. Nicholas and His Servant"), published in 1850 by Amsterdam schoolteacher Jan Schenkman; however, the tradition appears to date back at least as far as the early 19th century.[8] Zwarte Piet's colourful dress is based on 16th-century noble attire, with a ruff (lace collar) and a feathered cap. He is typically depicted carrying a bag which contains candy for the children, which he tosses around, a tradition supposedly originating in the story of Saint Nicholas saving three young girls from prostitution by tossing golden coins through their window at night to pay their dowries.
Traditionally, he would also carry a birch rod (Dutch: roe), a chimney sweep's broom made of willow branches, used to spank children who had been naughty. Some of the older Sinterklaas songs make mention of naughty children being put in Zwarte Piet's bag and being taken back to Spain. This part of the legend refers to the times that the Moors raided the European coasts, and as far as Iceland, to abduct the local people into slavery. This quality can be found in other companions of Saint Nicholas such as Krampus and Père Fouettard.[9] In modern versions of the Sinterklaas feast, however, Zwarte Piet no longer carries the roe and children are no longer told that they will be taken back to Spain in Zwarte Piet's bag if they have been naughty.
Over the years many stories have been added, and Zwarte Piet has developed into a valuable assistant to the absent-minded saint. In modern adaptations for television, Sinterklaas has developed a Zwarte Piet for every function, such as a Head Piet (Hoofdpiet), a Navigation Piet (Wegwijspiet) to navigate the steamboat from Spain to the Netherlands, a Presents Piet (Pakjespiet) to wrap all the gifts, and Acrobatic Piet to climb roofs and chimneys.[10] Traditionally Zwarte Piet's face is said to be black because he is a Moor from Spain.[11] Today, some children are told that his face is blackened with soot because he has to climb through chimneys to deliver gifts for Sinterklaas.
Since the 2010s, the traditions surrounding the holiday of Sinterklaas have been the subject of a growing number of editorials, debates, documentaries, protests and even violent clashes at festivals.[12] In most cities and television channels now only display Zwarte Piet characters with some soot smudges on the face rather than full blackface, so-called roetveegpieten ("soot-smudge Petes") or schoorsteenpieten ("chimney Petes").[13][14] In a 2013 survey, 92 per cent of the Dutch public did not perceive Zwarte Piet as racist or associate him with slavery, and 91 per cent were opposed to altering the character's appearance.[15] In a similar survey in 2018, between 80 and 88 per cent of the Dutch public did not perceive Zwarte Piet as racist, and between 41 and 54 per cent were happy with the character's modernised appearance (a mix of roetveegpieten and blackface).[16][17] A June 2020 survey saw a drop in support for leaving the character's appearance unaltered: 47 per cent of those surveyed supported the traditional appearance, compared to 71 per cent in a similar survey held in November 2019.[18] Prime Minister Mark Rutte stated in a parliamentary debate on 5 June 2020 that he had changed his opinion on the issue and now has more understanding for people who consider the character's appearance to be racist.[19]
Celebration
In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas is a very popular tradition.[20] The festival is celebrated by a wide range of people including Dutch Jews and Muslims,[21][22] and by generally all age groups. However, a 2023 survey showed that most are "less keen" to celebrate following the controversy surrounding Zwarte Piet.[20]
Arrival from Spain
The festivities traditionally begin each year in mid-November (the first Saturday after 11 November), when Sinterklaas "arrives" by a steamboat at a designated seaside town, supposedly from Alicante (Spain). In the Netherlands this takes place in a different port each year, whereas in Belgium it always takes place in the city of Antwerp. The steamboat anchors, then Sinterklaas disembarks and parades through the streets on his horse, welcomed by children cheering and singing traditional Sinterklaas songs.[23] His Zwarte Piet assistants throw candy and small, round, gingerbread-like cookies, either kruidnoten or pepernoten, into the crowd. The event is broadcast live on national television in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Following this national arrival, other towns celebrate their own intocht van Sinterklaas (arrival of Sinterklaas). Local arrivals usually take place later on the same Saturday of the national arrival, the next day (Sunday), or one weekend after the national arrival. In places a boat cannot reach, Sinterklaas arrives by train, horse, horse-drawn carriage or even a fire truck.
Sinterklaas is said to come from Spain, possibly because in 1087, half of Saint Nicholas' relics were transported to the Italian city of
Sinterklaas, goedheiligman!
|
Saint Nicholas, good holy man!
|
The text presented here comes from a pamphlet that John Pintard released in New York in 1810. It is the earliest source mentioning Spain in connection to Sinterklaas. Pintard wanted St. Nicholas to become patron saint of New York and hoped to establish a Sinterklaas tradition. Apparently he got help from the Dutch community in New York, that provided him with the original Dutch Sinterklaas poem. Strictly speaking, the poem does not state that Sinterklaas comes from Spain, but that he needs to go to Spain to pick up the oranges and pomegranates. So the link between Sinterklaas and Spain goes through the oranges, a much appreciated treat in the 19th century. Later the connection with the oranges got lost, and Spain became his home. Traditionally, the city of origin of the steamboat has been the port city of Alicante (Spain). This could be based on the fact that Alicante's patron is Saint Nicholas, and that the city's cathedral is dedicated to this saint. The province of Alicante is also famous for its oranges.
Period leading up to Saint Nicholas' Eve
In the weeks between his arrival and 5 December, Sinterklaas visits schools, hospitals, and shopping centres. He is said to ride his white-grey horse over the rooftops at night, delivering gifts through the chimney to the well-behaved children. Traditionally, naughty children risked being caught by Black Pete, who carried a jute bag and willow cane for that purpose.[26]
Before going to bed, children each leave a single shoe next to the fireplace chimney of the coal-fired stove or fireplace (or in modern times close to the central heating radiator, or a door). They leave the shoe with a carrot or some hay in it and a bowl of water nearby "for Sinterklaas' horse", and the children sing a Sinterklaas song. The next day they find some candy or a small present in their shoes.
Typical Sinterklaas treats traditionally include
Saint Nicholas' Eve and Saint Nicholas' Day
In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' Eve, 5 December, became the chief occasion for gift-giving during the winter holiday season. The evening is called Sinterklaasavond ("Sinterklaas evening") or Pakjesavond ("gifts evening", or literally "packages evening").
On the evening of 5 December, parents, family, friends or acquaintances pretend to act on behalf of "Sinterklaas", or his helpers, and fool the children into thinking that "Sinterklaas" has really given them presents. This may be done through a note that is "found", explaining where the presents are hidden, as though Zwarte Piet visited them and left a
In the Southern Netherlands and Belgium, most children have to wait until the morning of 6 December to receive their gifts, and Sinterklaas is seen as a festivity almost exclusively for children. The shoes are filled with a poem or wish list for Sinterklaas and carrots, hay or sugar cubes for the horse on the evening of the fifth and in Belgium often a bottle of beer for Zwarte Piet and a cup of coffee for Sinterklaas are placed next to them. Also in some areas, when it is time for children to give up their pacifier, they place it into his or her shoe ("safekeeping by Sinterklaas") and it is replaced with chocolate the next morning.
The present is often creatively disguised by being packaged in a humorous, unusual or personalised way. This is called a surprise (from the French).[27][28]
Poems from Sinterklaas usually accompany gifts, bearing a personal message for the receiver. It is usually a humorous poem which often teases the recipient for well-known bad habits or other character deficiencies.
In recent years, influenced by North-American media and the Anglo-Saxon Christmas tradition, when the children reach the age where they get told "the big secret of Sinterklaas", some people will shift to Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for the present giving. Older children in Dutch families where the children are too old to believe in Sinterklaas any more, also often celebrate Christmas with presents instead of pakjesavond. Instead of such gifts being brought by Sinterklaas, family members ordinarily draw names for an event comparable to Secret Santa. Because of the popularity of his "older cousin" Sinterklaas, Santa Claus is however not commonly seen in the Netherlands and Belgium.
History
Pre-Christian Europe
Middle Ages
The Sinterklaasfeest arose during the Middle Ages. The feast was both an occasion to help the poor, by putting money in their shoes (which evolved into putting presents in children's shoes) and a wild feast, similar to Carnival, that often led to costumes, a "topsy-turvy" overturning of daily roles, and mass public drunkenness.
In early traditions, students elected one of their classmates as "bishop" on St. Nicholas Day, who would rule until 28 December (Innocents Day), and they sometimes acted out events from the bishop's life. As the festival moved to city streets, it became more lively.[36]
16th and 17th centuries
During the
After the successful
19th century
In the 19th century, the saint emerged from hiding and the feast became more secularised at the same time.
In Schenkman's version, the medieval figures of the mock devil, which later changed to Oriental or Moorish helpers, was portrayed for the first time as black African and called Zwarte Piet (Black Pete).[36]
World War II
During the
Sinterklaas, kapoentje,
R.A.F. Kapoentje,
|
Sinterklaas, little capon,
R.A.F. little Capon,
|
This is a variation of one of the best-known traditional Sinterklaas rhymes, with "RAF" replacing "Sinterklaas" in the first line (the two expressions have the same metrical characteristics in the first and second, and in the third and fourth lines). The Dutch word kapoentje (little rascal) is traditional to the rhyme, but in this case it also alludes to a
Originally Sinterklaas was only accompanied by one (or sometimes two) Zwarte Pieten, but just after the liberation of the Netherlands, Canadian soldiers organised a Sinterklaas party with many Zwarte Pieten, and ever since this has been the custom, each Piet normally having his own dedicated task.[42]
Popularity and celebration outside the Netherlands
The festival has also been adhered in the former Dutch colonies. In Curaçao, Dutch-style Sinterklaas events were organised until 2020. The Zwarte Piet costumes were purple, gold, blue, yellow and orange but especially black and dark black.[43] Prime Minister Ivar Asjes has spoken negatively of the tradition.[44] In 2011, the government of Gerrit Schotte threatened to withdraw the grant for the Dutch tradition after the Curaçaoan activist Quinsy Gario was arrested, when he protested in Dordrecht against the use of Zwarte Piet.[45] Since 2020, the Sinterklaas feast is no longer nationally celebrated in Curaçao and has been replaced by Children's Day on 20 November.[46]
Dutch-style Sinterklaas events were also organised in
The Saint Nicholas Society of New York celebrates a feast on 6 December to this day. In the
Sinterklaas as a source for Santa Claus
Sinterklaas is the basis for the North American figure of
In New York, two years earlier John Pintard published a pamphlet with illustrations of Alexander Anderson in which he calls for making Saint Nicholas the patron Saint of New York and starting a Sinterklaas tradition. He was apparently assisted by the Dutch because in his pamphlet he included an old Dutch Sinterklaas poem with an English translation. In the Dutch poem, Saint Nicholas is referred to as 'Sancta Claus'.[25] Ultimately, his initiative helped Sinterklaas to pop up as Santa Claus in the Christmas celebration, which returned – freed of episcopal dignity and ties – via England and later Germany to Europe again.
During the
Sinterklaas in fiction
In a scene in the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street, a Dutch girl recognises Macy's department store Santa as Sinterklaas. They converse in Dutch and sing a Sinterklaas song while she sits on his lap.[58]
Santa Claus is portrayed as Sinterklaas in the 1985 film One Magic Christmas: he and his wife have Dutch accents, and she calls him Nicolaas.[59] In lieu of elves, his helpers are "Christmas angels" who are deceased people of all nationalities.[59]
Sinterklaas has been the subject of a number of Dutch novels, films and television series, primarily aimed at children. Sinterklaas-themed children's films include Winky's Horse (2005) and the sequel Where Is Winky's Horse? (2007).[60][61]
Sinterklaas-themed films aimed at adults include the
De Club van Sinterklaas is a Sinterklaas-themed soap opera aimed at children. The popular television series has run since 1999 and has had a number of spin-off series. Since 2001, a Sinterklaas "news" program aimed at children is broadcast daily on Dutch television during the holiday season, the Sinterklaasjournaal. The Dutch-Belgian Nickelodeon series Slot Marsepeinstein has aired since 2009.
Much of the first half of
In the fourth episode of the television series The Librarians ("And Santa's Midnight Ride"), Santa (Bruce Campbell) is an "immortal avatar" who has existed in many different incarnations throughout history. After experiencing mistletoe poisoning, he briefly turns into Sinterklaas, using his magic to play tricks and make toys appear in people's shoes, before regaining control of his current incarnation.[citation needed]
Sinterklaas also appeared in Sesamstraat, the Dutch version of Sesame Street.[citation needed]
Related holiday figures
Other holiday figures based on Saint Nicholas are celebrated in some parts of Germany and Austria (Sankt Nikolaus); the Czech Republic (Mikuláš); Hungary (Mikulás); Switzerland (Samichlaus); Italy (San Nicola in Bari, South Tyrol, Alpine municipalities, and many others); parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia (Sveti Nikola); Slovenia (Sveti Nikolaj or Sveti Miklavž); Greece (Agios Nikolaos); Romania (Moș Nicolae); Albania (Shën Kolli, Nikolli), among others. See further: Saint Nicholas Day.
See also
References
- ISBN 9780226107783.
- ^ Ghesquiere 1989, pp. 84–85.
- ^ "Sinterklaas" Archived 3 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Landelijk Centrum voor Cultuur van Alledag (LECA)
- ^ "Oh zo Snel |". www.ad.nl. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "25 jaar geleden kwam de 1e aflevering van "Dag Sinterklaas" op tv", Alexander Verstraete, VRT NWS, 26 November 2017
- ^ "Sint met paard en koets op Markt", Het Laatste Nieuws, 4 December 2014
- ^ "Sinterklaas gedichten | Kies nu jouw leuke sinterklaasgedicht!". www.1001gedichten.nl. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ^ E. Boer-Dirks, "Nieuw licht op Zwarte Piet. Een kunsthistorisch antwoord op de vraag naar de herkomst", Volkskundig Bulletin, 19 (1993), pp. 1–35; 2–4, 10, 14.
- ^ Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast, and Italy, 1500–1800, Robert Davis, 2004
- ^ nos.nl; Wie is die Zwarte Piet eigenlijk?, 23 October 2013
- ^ Forbes, Bruce David (2007). Christmas: A Candid History. University of California Press.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Morse, Felicity. "Zwarte Piet: Opposition Grows To 'Racist Black Pete' Dutch Tradition". HuffPost. UK. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
- ^ http://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nederland/rtl-stopt-met-zwarte-piet-voortaan-alleen-pieten-met-roetvegen Archived 2 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine ; "RTL stopt met Zwarte Piet, voortaan alleen pieten met roetvegen", 24 October 2016
- ^ http://nos.nl/artikel/2141314-geen-zwarte-piet-meer-in-amsterdam-alleen-schoorsteenpieten.html ; "Geen Zwarte Piet meer in Amsterdam, alleen Schoorsteenpieten", 4 November 2016
- ^ "VN wil einde Sinterklaasfeest – Binnenland | Het laatste nieuws uit Nederland leest u op Telegraaf.nl [binnenland]". De Telegraaf. 22 October 2013. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
- ^ "Onderzoek: Zwarte Piet is genoeg aangepast". Een Vandaag. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Onderzoek: Rapportage Zwarte Piet" (PDF). Een Vandaag. 15 November 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
- ^ "Niet alleen Rutte is van mening veranderd: de steun voor traditionele Zwarte Piet is gedaald - weblog Gijs Rademaker". Een Vandaag. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ "Rutte: ik ben anders gaan denken over Zwarte Piet". NOS Nieuws. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ a b "Most Dutch people are less keen to celebrate Sinterklaas due to Zwarte Piet discussions | NL Times". nltimes.nl. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ Redactie, De (2 December 2016). "Joden en Sinterklaas - joods.nl". Joods.nl: Nieuws uit Joods Nederland en Israel. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/2451573/151509_06_1_.pdf
- ^ "Sinterklaas Arrival—Amsterdam, the Netherlands". St. Nicholas Center. 2008.
- ^ "Knickerbocker Santa Claus". St. Nicholas Center. 4 December 1953. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ^ a b "St. Nicholas". www.stnicholascenter.org. Archived from the original (JPG) on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ^ "Netherlands". St. Nicholas Center.
- ^ "Artikel: Sinterklaas Gaming Surprises" (in Dutch). Female-Gamers.nl. 15 November 2011. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ^ "Examples of typical surprises" (in Dutch). knutselidee.nl.
- ^ Ghesquiere 1989, p. 72.
- ^ "Wat heeft Sinterklaas met Germaanse mythologie te maken?" (in Dutch). historianet.nl. 3 December 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- ^ Guerber, Hélène Adeline. "huginn and muninn 'Myths of the Norsemen' from". Retrieved 26 November 2012 – via Project Gutenberg.
- ^ Booy, Frits (2003). "Lezing met dia's over 'op zoek naar zwarte piet' (in search of Zwarte Piet)" (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 12 October 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2007. Almekinders, Jaap (2005). "Wodan en de oorsprong van het Sinterklaasfeest (Wodan and the origin of Saint Nicolas' festivity)" (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2011. Christina, Carlijn (2006). "St. Nicolas and the tradition of celebrating his birthday". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ "Artikel: sinterklaas and Germanic mythology" (in Dutch). historianet.nl. 3 December 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- ^ Ghesquiere 1989, p. 77.
- ^ Meertens Instituut, Piet en Sint – veelgestelde vragen, meertens.knaw.nl. Retrieved 19 November 2013; J. de Jager, Rituelen & Tradities: Sinterklaas, jefdejager.nl. Retrieved 19 November 2013. According to E. Boer-Dirks, "Nieuw licht op Zwarte Piet. Een kunsthistorisch antwoord op de vraag naar de herkomst", Volkskundig Bulletin, 19 (1993), pp. 1–35, this tradition is derived from German folkloristic research of the first decades of the 19th century (p. 2). This happened relatively early; already in 1863, the Dutch lexicographer Eelco Verwijs is found comparing the feast of St. Nicholas with Germanic pagan traditions and noting that the appearance of Wodan and Eckart in December reminds him of that of St. Nicholas and "his servant Ruprecht" (De christelijke feesten: Eene bijdrage tot de kennis der germaansche mythologie. I. Sinterklaas (The Hague, 1863), p. 40). An older reference to a possible pagan origin of a "St. Nicholas and his black servant with chains", apparently in a Dutch setting, is found in L. Ph. C. van den Bergh, Nederlandsche volksoverleveringen en godenleer (Utrecht, 1836), p. 74 ("...de verschijning van den zwarten knecht van St. Nikolaas met kettingen, die de kinders verschrikt, ... acht ik van heidenschen oorsprong").
- ^ ISBN 978-9042022218.
- ISBN 0-520-25104-0, pp. 68–79.
- OCLC 613003275.
- ^ "Martin Luther soll das Christkind erfunden haben". Stiftung Luthergedenkstätten in Sachsen-Anhalt – Staatliche Geschäftsstelle "Luther 2017". Archived from the original on 26 December 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
- Dutch Institute for War Documentation.
- ^ Budde, Sjoukje (4 December 2008). "Hitler heeft den strijd gestart, maar aan 't eind krijgt hij de gard". De Volkskrant. Amsterdam. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
- ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2009) Cookies, Coleslaw, and Stoops. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. p. 254.
- ^ "In Willemstad is piet vooral donker zwart en sint wit geschminkt". Volkskrant.n. 18 November 2017.
- ^ "Zwarte en gekleurde Pieten op Curaçao". Nu.nl. 16 November 2013.
- ^ "Op Curaçao hebben ze al regenboogpieten". Algemeen Dagblad.
- ^ "Geen sinterklaasviering meer op Curaçao". NOS. 20 September 2020.
- ^ "Surinaamse Sint ruilt Piet in voor suikerfee". Trouw. 2 December 2014.
- ^ "Leidse Courant – 19 november 1980 – pagina 15". Historische Kranten, Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken. 19 November 1980.
- ^ "Starnieuws - NDP ondersteunt Venetiaan met afschaffing Sinterklaas". www.starnieuws.com.
- ^ "Sint en Piet niet meer op Surinaamse scholen". Trouw. 6 December 2013.
- ^ "Sinterklaas!". Sinterklaashudsonvalley.com. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- Livius.org. Archived from the originalon 13 May 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ^ Shorto, Russell. The Island at the Center of the World. Random House LLC, 2005.
- ^ Jones, Charles W. "Knickerbocker Santa Claus". The New-York Historical Society Quarterly. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 4.
- ^ Charles W. Jones, Saint Nicholas of Myra, Bari, and Manhattan: Biography of a Legend (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1978)
- ^ Hageman, Howard G. (1979). "Review of Saint Nicholas of Myra, Bari, and Manhattan: Biography of a Legend". Theology Today. Vol. 36, no. 3. Princeton: Princeton Theological Seminary. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-520-25104-5.
- 20th Century Fox. 2 May 1947. Event occurs at 23:40.
- ^ Buena Vista Distribution. 22 November 1985. Event occurs at TBD.
- IMDb
- IMDb
- ^ Guido Franken, "Sinterklaas in de Nederlandse film", Neerlands Filmdoek, 29 November 2013 (Dutch)
- ISBN 978-0-7653-1282-2.
Notes
- Luxembourgish; Sankt Nikolaus or Nikolaus in German; and Sint Nicholas in Afrikaans.
Bibliography
- Ghesquiere, Rita (1989). Van Nicolaas van Myra tot Sinterklaas. Acco. ISBN 9789061525561.
External links
- Media related to Sinterklaas (figure) at Wikimedia Commons