Sitting on top of their parents’ shoulders, the three little Princesses of the Netherlands squealed with excitement as they welcomed the Dutch version of Santa Claus over the weekend.
www.koninklijkhuis.nl
Catharina-Amalia 5, Alexia 4, and Ariane, 2, were part of a large crowd in Scheveningen, a coastal town near The Hague. Like most of the other kids, they wore the costumes associated with Sinterklaas, as the Dutch call St. Nicholas. Amalia wore his cape, while her younger sisters wore the Zwarte Piet caps. Zwarte Piet are Sinterklaas’ helpers.
The welcoming of Sinterklaas is a major tradition in Holland. Songs are sung as he walks through the crowd upon his arrival. According to tradition, Sinterklaas comes from Spain, though it is unknown why. The original Saint Nicholas came from modern-day Turkey.
Now, the daughters of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Crown Princess Maxima will prepare for the night of December 6th, when Sinterklaas gives gifts to the children who had been good. Those who were bad, get sent to Spain!
To learn more about this Dutch tradition, click here
