 Week Two Who Is Santa Claus? Let's take a trip to Holland and find out... The name Santa Claus comes from the Dutch 'Sinter Klaas', meaning 'Saint Nicholas'. Every year Sinter Klaas arrives in the Netherlands about three weeks before December 5th. He is said to arrive on a boat that comes from Spain, accompanied by many attendants called Black Peters because they have black faces. For the whole three weeks children put their shoes in front of the fire before they go to bed. If they are lucky, Sinter Klaas rides by on his white horse and may drop a few little presents down the chimney - a few sweets or a tangerine perhaps - but it doesn't happen every night! On the night of 5th December Sinter Klaas might leave a big present before he goes back to Spain on the 6th. Then the presents stop. In Holland no presents are given on Christmas Day.  Sinter Klaas / Saint Nicholas has been associated with giving presents from the earliest days of the Christian Church. Nicholas, who came from Turkey (not Spain!) was said to be a very holy man. His most famous act was saving three girls who were going to be sold into slavery by their father, who was too poor to look after them. St Nicholas, hearing about the girls, threw three gold balls in through the window of their house. Because of these presents the girls were saved. So Saint Nicholas certainly showed the true spirit of Christmas!
|
|||
| Home
Page
About Advent Teacher
Notes |
|||
