His name is Sinterklaas. Not to be confused with Santa Claus. They are two separate people in the Netherlands, but Sinterklaas plays a much more prevalent role around the holidays here. He spends the off-season lounging on the beaches of Spain. As you can see, his figure is much more pleasing to the eye than Santa Claus’s, so that would explain his frolicking around in a Euro-speedo in Spain, rather than bundled up in the North Pole. He comes to the Netherlands every year on his birthday, December 5th, on a boat with his dear horse that takes him around the country. He brings presents for all children, but beware! If you are bad, he will stuff you in his bag and take you back to Spain to teach you a lesson (First off, I don’t see how being whisked away to Spain is much of a punishment. Secondly, it’s a little inappropriate to stuff a child in a bag and take it home with you to “teach it a lesson,” don’t you think, Sinterklaas? I better not see you on “To Catch a Predator...") Oh, and don’t forget to leave a carrot out for his horse before you go to bed, poor thing needs energy to stay up all night! Also, he has a bunch of black guys that help him out. A full blown posse, if you will. Ya can’t make this stuff up. Well actually, I guess you can, since it all actually IS made up. But you can’t make up the fact that it’s made up!
So, let us review. Sinterklaas is a skinny lil’ guy. Santa is morbidly obese. Dutch children leave a carrot out for the lonesome horse that gives Sinterklaas a ride throughout the night. We leave cookies for Santa Claus, the glutton, to gorge on while his eight (or nine?), poor reindeer lug around his fat ass. Sinterklaas holidays in Spain, relaxing and enjoying life. Santa goes to the North Pole and works all year.
The differences between Europe and the US even exist in the make-believe world! I can’t wait for Christmas time in Holland… totes gonna get a picture with Sinter and his peeps.
Quote of the Day: "People are getting weird. I don't know if it's the economy crisis or climate change, but everyone is a weirdo."-Chin
Totally agree with Chin!
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