Ora bem, para quem não conhece a tradição holandesa é capaz de haver um pouco de choque cultural na época natalícia...ver brancos andar na rua de cara pintada de preto, vestidos de palhaços, e toda a gente mt contente à volta é um pouco surreal! Aqui segue uma explicação resumida (para o original
clique-se aqui):
Sinterklaas is a traditional holiday figure in the Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles and Belgium, celebrated every year on Saint Nicholas' eve (December 5) or, in Belgium, on the morning of December 6. The feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of, among other things, children.
In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' Eve, (December 5th) is the chief occasion for gift-giving. The evening is called sinterklaasavond or "pakjesavond" ("presents' evening"). Traditionally, presents are ingeniously wrapped, and are therefore called surprises. Also, presents are traditionally accompanied by a poem from Saint Nicholas.
The Sinterklaas feast celebrates the nameday of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Saint Nicholas was a Greek bishop of Myra in present-day Turkey and became the patron saint of children based on various legends that include resurrecting children from death and saving them from prostitution. Sinterklaas has a long white beard, wears a red bishop's dress and red mitre (bishop's hat), and holds a crosier, a long gold coloured staff with a fancy curled top. Sinterklaas carries a big book with all the children's names in it, which states whether they have been naughty or nice in the past year. Sinterklaas is usually a nice, forgiving person and rides a white horse.
Sinterklaas traditionally arrives each year in November (usually on Saturday) by steamboat from Spain (A personagem vem da Turquia por Espanha...mas quem é que inventa estas coisas!?lol), and is then paraded through the streets, welcomed by cheering and singing children. Invariably, this event is broadcast live on national television in the Netherlands and Belgium. His Zwarte Piet (meaning Black Pete) helpers throw candy and small, round ginger bread-like cookies, kruidnoten or pepernoten, into the crowd.

(é isto que temos de aturar nas ruas ao fim de semana...)
The children welcome him by singing traditional Sinterklaas songs. Sinterklaas also visits schools, hospitals and shopping centres. After this arrival all towns with a dock have their own intocht van Sinterklaas (arrival of Sinterklaas). Local arrivals usually takes place on Sunday, the day after he arrives in the Netherlands. In places a boat cannot reach, Sinterklaas arrives by train, bus, horse or even carriage.
Traditionally, in the weeks between his arrival and the 5th of December, before going to bed, children put their shoes next to the chimney of the coal fired stove or fireplace, with a carrot or some hay in it "for Sinterklaas's horse", sing a Sinterklaas song, and will find some candy or a small present in their shoes the next day, supposedly thrown down the chimney by a Zwarte Piet or Sinterklaas himself. However, with the advent of central heating children put their shoes near the boiler or even just next to the front door.
(segundo o meu céptico professor na aula de hoje, a verdade por trás das cenouras é que o pai natal tem um coelho que será morto para a refeição natalícia e que, obviamente, as cenouras são para a engorda...)
Typical Sinterklaas candy is the chocolate letter, the first letter of the child's name made out of chocolate, speculaas (a type of shortcrust biscuit), chocolate coins, a figurine of Sinterklaas made out of chocolate and wrapped in painted aluminium foil, and coloured marzipan shaped into fruit, an animal or some other object.
Children are told that Black Pete enters the house through the chimney, which also explains his black face and hands, and would leave a bundle of sticks (roe) or a small bag with salt in the shoe instead of candy when the child had been bad.
Children are also told that in the worst case they would be put in the gunny sack in which Black Pete carries the presents, and be taken back to Spain, where Sinterklaas is said to spend the rest of the year. (para verem como os holandeses são delicados!) This practice, however, has been condemned by Sinterklaas in his more recent television appearances as something of the past. (LOOOL) Typical of that time was also the fact that the saint would have the names of every child written down in either his "golden book" (if a child had been good), or his "black book" (if a child had been bad). The standard joke would be that initially Sinterklaas would not be able to find the name in the "golden book", trying to scare the children. With modern views on child psychology, these practises have been abandoned as well. (agora a cena dos escravos negros já não...)
Traditionally Saint Nicholas brings his gifts at night, Sinterklaasavond or Pakjesavond (present evening). Presents are often accompanied by a simple poem, saying something about the child or with a hint to the nature of the present. Another aspect of "Pakjesavond" is writing small poems for gifts to adults. When children grow too old to believe in Sinterklaas, they are introduced to a different form of entertainment on Pakjesavond night, December 5th. People will write small personal poems for friends and family usually accompanied by a small gift or candy. This way it is also entertaining for parents and other adults. Students usually write teasing and embarrassing stories for each other. But this is expected and the stories are received in good spirit.