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Celebrate Christmas in New York Old School with Sinterklaas

12/3/09 - By Adam

Before New York was New York, it was New Amsterdam and before Santa Claus was Santa Claus, he was Sinterklaas. In the Netherlands, children leave their shoes out on the night of December 5th for Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) who comes to their houses and fills the shoes with chocolates and candies (or bundles of sticks for the naughty) in celebration of St. Nicholas’s Day on December 6th.

Celebrate Christmas in New York the old school way by adding a little Sinterklaas to your Holiday mix.

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All you really need are shoes and chocolates (traditionally, chocolates in the shape of the first initial of your name, but really any chocolate will do). Add some gingerbread or other ginger based cookies and you are most of the way towards a traditional celebration. It is a good way to start the holiday season with a celebration that brings gift giving to a smaller scale, letting you concentrate on your family and friends and reconnect with our city’s past instead of just having another weekend’s worth of shopping to do. You can even incorporate with your children the Dutch tradition of writing poems about each family member for Sinterklaas, whether the poems are silly or sincere.

Or, if you would prefer to see Sinterklaas in person and celebrate your new found holiday with others (while exploring New York’s colonial past), here are some Sinterklaas events going on this weekend:

Saturday, December 5, 2009, 12pm-4pm
The Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum is celebrating St. Nicholas Day with traditional crafts and treats and a visit from Sinterklaas himself. The event is free with the price of admission to the museum ($5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students and free for children 10 and under).

Saturday, December 5, 2009, 11am-3pm
The Bronx has its own St. Nicholas Day Celebration at the Van Cortlandt House Museum, a 250 year old mansion located within Van Cortlandt Park. There Sinterklaas will be joined with a campfire and other holiday treats. The event is free with the price of admission to the museum ($5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students and free for children 12 and under).

Saturday, December 5, 2009, 1pm-3pm
Just outside the city in Yonkers, Philipse Manor Hall is hosting its Annual St. Nicholas Celebration & Concert including performances by the Bronx Arts Ensemble (at 1:00pm and 3:00pm) and a visit from St. Nicholas. Free event (no museum admission cost).

Sunday, December 6, 2009, 1pm-4pm
On Sunday, the Meadows Foundation in Somerset, New Jersey is holding its annual Sinterklaas Festival at the Van Wickle House, a 1722 farmhouse on the Raritan river. The Sinterklaas Festival features a visit from Sinterklaas as well as traditional Dutch songs, dances and food. Admission is free but there is a $3 suggested donation per car.

Saturday, December 5, 2009, All Day
A little farther outside the city in Duchess County, New York, the town of Rhinebeck has the largest area Sinterklaas festival. Spanning the whole day and spread throughout the town of Rhinebeck, the festival has a large number of events, including a parade, a crafts fair, musical performances and a family hoedown. Free.

See our other ideas for unusual and multicultural ways to celebrate the Holidays and many other activity ideas in our Holiday Guide.