Last night I watched the Santa Claus Parade and took some photos. Not everything turned out but I got a few nice ones. I kept a few marginal ones that were colourful and not too blurry.
SP 01 by firemind.
There were around fifty floats. They varied from Santa's traditional sleigh to trucks and trains. Island Farms Dairy even replaced the reindeer with milk cows!
SP 02 by firemind.
I will try to upload the rest of the pics this weekend.
I had a fun experience comparing traditions when I got home. I stopped in at Men-a-men and found out that Men had watched St. Nicholas come to his village. I commented in his blog and he asked this question:
Do you also have St. Nicholas in Canada or do you mean Father Christmas? St. Nicholas is a very old Dutch tradition with a boxing-evening on december 5th.
Here is my answer:
Canada has many traditions that came with our settlers. In English speaking Canada we have Santa Claus who is basically the American version of Father Christmas. Santa brings gifts at Christmas.
2 comments:
Hi,
Ja wij hebben allebei. Onze Sinterklaas woont in Spanje en komt 1 keer per jaar in november (ongeveer 12 november) naar Nederland met zijn Zwarte Pieten op zijn stoomboot om zijn verjaardag hier te vieren en wel op 5 december. Hij brengt alle kinderen die zoet geweest zijn snoep en kadootjes in hun schoen. De Zwarte Pieten brengen deze kadootjes van Sinterklaas door de schoorsteen(daarom zijn ze zwart) en stoppen ze dan in de schoenen van de kinderen. De kinderen doen een wortel of een appel voor het paard Americo in hun schoen en krijgen daar een snoepje of een kadootje voor terug. Dit is van af de dag dat hij aangekomen is tot aan zijn verjaardag op 5 december (sommige kinderen mogen elke dag hun schoen neerzetten van 12 november tot aan 5 december)Op Sinterklaas avond brengt hij de grote kadootjes, pakjesavond. Op 6 december gaat hij weer terug naar Spanje.
Wij hebben ook de Kerstman die op de noord pool woont welke speelgoed en kadootjes brengt op 26 december = kerstochtend. Het is Kerstmis in Nederland van kerstavond op 24 december, eerste kerstdag 25 december en tweede kerstdag op 26 december.
Yes we have both. Our St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas)lives in Spain and comes once a year in November (around November 12th) to the Netherlands with his Black Pieter’s (his helpers) to the Netherlands on his steam ship to celebrate his birthday here on December 5th. He brings all the children who have been good and sweet, sweets and presents in their shoes. The Black Pieter’s deliver all the present from St. Nicholas through the chimney (that’s why their black) in the children’s shoes. Children fill their shoes with a carrot or an apple for St. Nicholas’s horse Americo. They get a present or sweets in return if they have been sweet. This is all in the weeks coming up to the Boxing evening. (Some children may set their shoe in front of the chimney to get something from St. Nicholas every day up till boxing evening on December 5th) On boxing- evening on December 5th he brings bigger toys and there is the big celebration of his birthday. On December 6th he goes back on his ship to Spain.
We also have Father Christmas who lives on the north pole and brings us toys and presents on December 26th = first Christmas morning. Christmas celebration in the Netherlands is from the night before Christmas = Christmas Eve (December 24th), Christmas first day (December 25th) = Boxing Day and Christmas the second day (December 26th).
Men - I like your system - you get two fun holidays - with presents!
Hi Salwa.
Post a Comment