St. Nicholas party 2010

This is how I first remember seeing Sinterklaas in the 1990s when I was growing up. As a young boy, my father once took me to the Sinterklaas parade. When I saw the elderly man riding the white gray, I asked my father: "Daddy, who is that man?" On which he responded that he is Sinterklaas; ruler of the church, bishop of Myra, but above all, patron saint of children and sailors. Being a young boy, I didn't understand any of those words. I asked my father what he is doing here and why everyone is looking at him. On which he stated that Sinterklaas is here to give presents to the children that have been good in the past year... and to punish those who have been bad. Being a young boy -without any moral sense of good and bad- I somehow feared punishment.

I asked my father if I had been a good boy myself. But before he could answer, a black faced demon appeared in front of me... a face as dark as the con of man... I recollected some of the rumors I heard at school a couple of days earlier. Rumors about Black Petes, servants of the holy man. According to myths, Black Pete was a name for the devil. Having triumphed over evil, it was said that on Saint Nicholas eve the devil was shackled and made his slave. The devilishly figure now accompanies Sinterklaas and helps him on his rounds giving presents to the good children and punishing the bad ones. It is said that when children had been bad, Black Pete forcefully abducts them and takes them to the dungeons of Myra (Turkey in present-day).

Luckily for me, I had been a good boy. And even if I hadn't been, my father would not allow Black Pete to kidnap me.

I was wrong...

Black Pete took me out of the crowd and led me to Saint Nicholas. I started crying and screaming... "Daddy, daddy, help me!" But alas... it was too late. Before I knew it, I stood there... helplessly... eye to eye with the holy Saint Nicholas, the man who would decide about my fate.

The wizard with white hair and a long, full beard cryptically looked at me as though he somehow knew about all the mischief I had been plotting... fear fell upon me. He asked my name. "A." I spoke with a trembling voice. "So tell me, A." the man in the red cape responded, "Have you been a good boy this year?" "Y.. yes" I stumbled... "Hmm I see." he calmly said. "And will you continue being a good boy?" he asked me with a glare of displeasure. I had no other choice but to say "Yes, sir." "Good, young boy. And what present would you like to have?" he asked of me, while his servant just took me out of the crowd moments earlier. "I just want to go back to my daddy..." I quiveringly said. "Off you go, young boy. But don't make me come for you next year..." he ominously concluded.

This little interaction with the mysterious figure known as Sinterklaas, made me realize that I have to live my life as a good boy. It was only years later that I faced my naiveness and found out the truth about Sinterklaas. And as with all things, the truth is rarely pure and never simple. Yet, all truths are easy to understand once they are discovered. The point is simply to discover them.

In light of discovering truth; Sint party 2010

 

 

With love,