Sint Nicholas - the Connection between Dutch Folklore and Santa Claus

The holiday season has truly started in the U.S. with the Thanksgiving holiday last week. However, in other parts of the world, other tradional holidays will be celebrated as well and some of those are closely connected to the upcoming Christmas celebrations in the U.S. An interesting example is in the Netherlands, where the feast of "Sint Nicolaas" or "Sinterklaas" will be celebrated, which consists of giving gifts to children on  St. Nicholas' Eve, the evening of  December 5.

Saint Nicholas, who lived from 270 to December 6, 343 AD, was the Greek Bishop of Myra (located in modern dayTurkey) and he was a Christian saint known for his miracles and secret gift-giving. Saint Nicholas attended the First Council of Nicaea, which was the first effort to attain consensus in the Church through an assembly representing all of Christendom. Later on Saint Nicholas became an important figure for Italians and Greeks, honored in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church. Throughout Europe he is celebrated for his generosity, especially towards children.
In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas became a figure of folklore, who would visit the Netherlands every November traveling by steamboat from Spain, riding a white horse and joined by mischievous and ..........