Sinterklaas

Getting ready to go see Sinterklass!

Check out her fake Ugg boots!

I'm not sure on the exact details here so bear with me. Sinterklaas is the Belgian Santa or St. Nick. Instead of elves to help him out he has Zwarte Pete. (Dutch to English translation: Black Pete) There are lots of stories of how Zwarte Pete hooked up with Santa and began to help him deliver the gifts. We've asked lots of Belgians and each family has their own story. Here are two of my favorites:

Disclaimer: I'm not making this up by the way....Belgians are seriously into their Zwarte Pete.

Sinterklaas needed help delivering gifts so when Santa was in Morocco/Africa he picked up a black guy named Pete to help him. Since he was Black (Zwarte in Dutch) his helpers were named Zwarte Pete.

Next story is that a white man named Pete was helping Sinterklaas deliver gifts and he fell down the chimney. When Santa helped him out he was all black, hence the name Zwarte Peter.

I personally like the Moroccan story the best and laugh out loud every time I hear it.

Alexis and Zwarte Pete! He made her a little pink balloon poodle.

Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Pete's. Yes, their Santa looks like the Pope.

Miss Alexis sitting up like a big girl in her chair.



Alexis got to see her first snow while we were waiting for Sinterklaas!


While we were at the party it snowed so much that we saw a snowman on the way home. Thankfully, since Scott grew up in snowy Minnesota he was a pro driving on the roads that hadn't been plowed.