Zwarte Piet

Remember how I told you about Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Piet, here they are on a cookie.


Doesn't really look like chimney soot on the Piet to me ...

And here I am at school with Sint and some Pieten:


The celebration at school was interesting. The Piet go around throwing small gingersnap like cookies, most of which end up on the floor and the children follow Sint around. It's definitely festive feeling, but all the cookies everywhere being ground into the carpet bothered my need for cleanliness and order.

Afternoon classes were canceled so that students could give each other secret santa gifts. The fun part in this was the wrapping was as important as the gift and also each came with a poem about the recipient which were at times brutally honest. I really liked that tradition though, makes it really personal.