My tweets

[franceslievens]

• Sat, 17:14: LB has figured out this whole Sinterklaas business: "Sinterklaas will bring me presents for my birthday" (which is 2 days later).

Comments

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

The kid has informed us - prompted by a picture of the 'wrong' guy - that there is a difference in dress between Weihnachtsmann and Nikolaus: The good bishop has a different "hat with a cross" on it. I'm not sure whether he learned that in kindergarten or through observation. It will be a challenge for my dad who wants to play Nikolaus for the kid...

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

The "official" Sinterklaas switches between a hat with a traditional cross (as endorsed by my Catholic colleague), shown in this Dutch film (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phMCE9j89qQ), or a hat with an embroidered S, as shown in this Flemish tv-series (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=417GeLQd5Ss). Sinterklaas is conveniently played by the same actor in both videos. :-)
My pupils don't mind whether it's an S or a cross on the mitre.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Oh, I like that - replacing the cross with an S - but I'm sure that there are lots of people out there who are screaming bloody murder at the politically-correctness brigade.

I think the fact that Nikolaus has a mitre and Weihnachtsmann has a red bobble hat with white trim and a white bobble iis the most important difference for a kid.