Lilac Colored Glasses

CB asked me if I was excited for Sinterklaas last night. Sinterklaas is a holiday celebrating Saint Nicholas in many parts of Western Europe.  According to the story, Sinterklaas comes from Spain on his white horse, led by Zwarte Piet (ohhhh do I have a post coagulating on this character, just give me a day or two to type it out), and gives gifts to good little children.  Bad kids are essentially kidnapped by Zwarte Piet and thrown into a sack and taken back to Spain (which, in my opinion, is a hell of a lot better than the lump of coal kids get for being bad in the States! If I misbehave can I get a free trip to Spain?).

So the night before Sinterklaas all the little kiddies put their shoe by the fireplace with a carrot (for the horse…which also explains why Sinterklaas stays so slim) and a letter for Sinterklaas.

And I am sort of excited because it’s a holiday that I’ve never done before.  Granted it’s more for kids, but I was sort of under the impression that it was for everyone.  For example, the way my family always did (and does still, for some part) Hanukkah was that we have potato pancakes (not every night but definitely a few of them) and after dinner we light the menorah.  After the candles are lit we pick a present to open and open them together as a family.  Then, on one of the 8 nights, the whole family gets together (aunts, uncles, grandparents etc.) for dinner and massive gift opening.  So even though the kids get the majority of the gifts and gelt, the adults still have fun and together time too.

I guess I was sort of dissapointed when I realized that Sinterklaas is much more kid-centric and that we pretty much don’t do anything for it.  Upon seeing this CB began telling a story (which is rare because he’s the analytic, mathematical, reasoning half of the couple and make believe doesn’t come as easily to him).

CB: “Just think…one day we’ll stay up late wrapping and setting up presents from Sinterklaas and we’ll have little shoes with carrots by the door and then around 4 in the morning we’ll hear thumpthumpthumpthumpthump.

That’ll be Luna.

Then at 4:30 we’ll hear thumpthumpthumpthumpthump and that’ll be our kid.

Then at 5:00 we’ll hear thump thumpthump thud … that’ll be the baby.

And they’ll start yelling ‘Mommy, Daddy, Sinterklaas was here! Look at the presents!’ And we’ll all unwrap them together.  And that’ll be our Sinterklaas.”

I mean…how can I not be madly in love with a man that tells stories like that?

Related posts:

1. Belgian Domestic Relations, a Fairy Tale
2. Not Much Happening Here
3. Zwarte Piet
4. The Tale of Two Glasses…Pictorially
5. Be Gone, Foul Gastric Demon!