Post card from Amsterdam ( Netherlands) 1993

Rabbit on the plate for Xmas in Amsterdam 

I believe that the Dutch and not the American have to be given credit or blamed (depending on how you have been brought up) for bringing Santa Claus into our lives in England!! In Netherland 5^th December is day of major celebration and it is connected with St. Nicholas, known to us as the Santa Claus (actual name Santa Claus derives from the Dutch word “Sinterklaas”).

 Sinterklass, that is Satan Claus, travels to Dutch towns and cities wearing his red bishop’s robe with his servant called Zwarte Piet (in English Black Peter whose face is painted black …. Interestingly Black Peter has not entered our lives in England as it would cause race riots? ). Santa Claus hands out presents to good children and the bad children get chased by Black Peter with a stick, so the story goes? During my stay in Netherlands in 1987-88, I bumped into Black Peter on the streets of Tilburg, ( I guess looking for bad children) but I missed Xmas day celebration which I understood to be much quieter with church services and family meals.  

 So, to experience quite Dutch style Xmas day my partner and I drove all the way to Amsterdam to spend our Xmas day eating a rabbit instead of a turkey for a main meal, taking in the bright lights of Amsterdam for drinking sessions, finding a catholic church for the midnight mass and visiting my old haunt, little Tilburg where we managed to walk on icy tow path but luckily without any bicycle to knock us down.