Sint comes to town

The Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas is probably too horrifying complicated to explain here. But here is a boat of "Black Petes". Sint (Saint Nicholas) arrives on a steamboat from Spain with his helpers (Zwarte Pieten) who hand out little sweets and biscuits called pepernoten.

Sint hangs around for a couple of weeks, occasionally leaving presents in the shoes of (good) children before buggering off back to Spain for his birthday (5 December). Upon leaving he leaves all the (good) children a sack of presents.

The children LOVE it. And I am growing fond of it too. I can't help but love the traditions of this country, even if I do find the "blacking up" more than a tad distasteful.