Classic Car Road Trip

An unconventional arrival of Sinterklaas in a 1942 Ford GPW Jeep:

Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands roughly two weeks before 5 December, which is when the Feast of Sinterklaas is celebrated. This feast is primarily a children's festival, though adults also join the celebrations. The Feast of Sinterklaas is marked annually by the giving of gifts and traditional Sinterklaas sweets, including gingerbread, chocolate letters and bite-sized spiced biscuits known as pepernoten. On 6 December, Sinterklaas quietly departs the Netherlands to return to Spain.

Nearly every town and village in the Netherlands organises its own arrival ceremony. The photos below depict the arrival of Sinterklaas in our village. Our village sits on the banks of the River IJssel, where Sinterklaas and his Piets arrive by boat at the ferry dam every year.

In November 2022, after Sinterklaas and his Sooty Piets had moored their boat on the riverbank, they were warmly welcomed by the acting mayor and cheering children. We drove Sinterklaas and the acting mayor through the floodplains to the village in our 1942 Ford GPW Jeep, surrounded by a group of Piets. Thanks to the four-wheel drive, the unpaved, muddy track was no trouble at all. Once in the village, Sinterklaas transferred to another vehicle for a parade through the streets.

In 2023, however, the extremely high water levels in the river scuppered the plans! It was completely impossible to moor Sinterklaas's boat at the ferry dam; we were asked to step in once again. At a secret location just outside the village, Sinterklaas stepped into our Ford GPW Jeep. We drove him safely along a dyke road beside the floodplain to our village – preceded by a group of Sooty Piets – where the mayor and a large group of children were waiting for his arrival.

The Dutch Sinterklaas is the inspiration for the American Santa Claus. The Dutch colonists brought the tradition of Sinterklaas to New Amsterdam, now New York City, along with the custom of giving gifts and sweets to children.

Read the story of Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas is also known as Saint Nicholas.

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1. 

   Arrival of Sinterklaas: Traditionally, Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) arrives in the Netherlands from his Bishop's Palace in Spain by boat. Sinterklaas is based on the historical figure Saint Nicholas, the Greek Bishop Nicholas of Myra, who lived at the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth century. Nowadays, Sinterklaas is played by an actor.

2. 

   Arrival of Sinterklaas in our 1942 Ford GPW Jeep: In November 2022, after mooring his boat, Sinterklaas was welcomed by the mayor. The saint arrives in the Netherlands about two weeks before the fifth of December, which is the Feast Day of Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas). Nearly every town and village in the Netherlands organises its own arrival of Sinterklaas.

3. 

   Arrival of Sinterklaas in our 1942 Ford GPW RAF Jeep. November 2022: Sinterklaas is sitting in the front passenger seat of a Second World War Jeep, surrounded by Sooty Piets. These Piets are the helpers who accompany Sinterklaas. When Sinterklaas arrives, a huge group of Sooty Piets hand out sweets to the children. The national arrival of Sinterklaas is broadcast live on national television.

4. 

   Arrival of Sinterklaas in our 1942 Ford Jeep, November 2022: Sinterklaas is a stately older man with long white hair and a beard. He is dressed in a long red velvet tabard (cape) over a white bishop's alb (robe), and wears a red mitre on his head. The tabard and mitre are embellished with golden embroidery. In his hand, he holds a bishop's pastoral staff.

5. 

   Arrival of Sinterklaas in a 1942 Ford GPW Jeep: The traditional blackface Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) was a source of debate in the Netherlands. Today, the majority of the Piets have soot marks on their faces instead of full black makeup. They are now called Sooty Piet, but just as always, children simply call them Piet.

6. 

   Arrival of Sinterklaas in our Ford GPW Jeep, November 2023: Traditionally, Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands by steamboat, but due to high water levels in the rivers, he came to our village in our Second World War Ford Jeep. The Feast Day of Sinterklaas is a cherished tradition in the Netherlands. This feast is a family event that is celebrated on the evening of 5th December.

7. 

   Arrival of Sinterklaas in our 1942 Ford GPW Jeep, November 2023: Sinterklaas was driven to our village along the small dyke road along the floodplains. The Sinterklaas tradition is part of Dutch culture. It is celebrated annually with the giving of gifts and traditional sweets, such as chocolate letters, chewy aniseed biscuits, marzipan figurines and tiny spiced biscuits called 'pepernoten'.

8. 

   Arrival of Sinterklaas in our  1942 Ford GPW Jeep, November 2023: Sooty Piets on a dyke road along the River IJssel. Sooty Piets are dressed in colourful velvet Renaissance-style costumes, and wear velvet berets with an ostrich feather. The Piets carry bags filled with sweets, such as 'pepernoten', which they hand out to the children.

9. 

   Arrival of Sinterklaas in our 1942 Ford GPW Jeep, November 2023: The arrival of Sinterklaas and his page. The kindly saint was welcomed by the mayor. Although Sinterklaas often arrives by steamboat, in towns or villages without a harbour he may arrive on horseback, in a horse-drawn carriage or even by train. Sometimes, the benevolent saint arrives in a Second World War Jeep.

10. 

    Arrival of Sinterklaas in a 1942 Ford GPW Jeep, November 2023: Sinterklaas and his page were warmly welcomed by the mayor. As a token of his dignity, Sinterklaas holds a golden bishop's staff. Every year, the saint travels by steamboat from Spain to the Netherlands to celebrate the Sinterklaas tradition on 5 December. On 6 December, he quietly leaves the Netherlands to return to his bishop's palace in Spain.