Gezellige Sinterklaas allemaal

For foreign friends : the meaning of Sinterklaas
In many places St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas) is the main gift giver. His feastday, in Holland, is December 5th, which falls early in the season. Some places he arrives with his dark helper Peter(Zwarte Piet) in the middle of November and moves about the countryside, visiting schools and homes to find out if children have been good. Other places he comes in the night and finds carrots and hay for his horse along with children's wish lists. Small treats are left in shoes, that are placed by the fireplace, so the children will know St. Nicholas has come.
Where St. Nicholas is prominent, his day, not Christmas, is the primary gift giving day. Families and friends come together on the eve of December 5th, or when the children are still very small shoes are left for St. Nicholas to be filled during the night. Children will find treats and small gifts and special Nicholas candies and cookies (pepernoten and speculaas).