What is Sinterklaas?
[[Image:Sinterklaas 2007.jpg|thumb|Sinterklaas]] '''Sinterklaas''' (also called '''Sint Nicolaas''') is a traditional holiday figure in [[Dutch language|Dutch-speaking]] [[Europe]] ([[The Netherlands]] and [[Flanders]]), and is also well known in the former [[Dutch Empire|Dutch colonies]]. Every year he is celebrated in The Netherlands, one day before [[Saint Nicholas]] died (5 December) and on (6 December) in Belgium. His helper and best friend is Black Peter. Sinterklaas is the basis of the mythical holiday figure of [[Santa Claus]] in the United States. Sinterklaas has nothing to do with [[Christmas]]. Christmas will also be celebrated in the Netherlands as well as in Belgium, so Santa Claus is not the same as Sinterklaas (in the Netherlands). Sinterklaas arrives from Spain in a boat and has a white horse that can walk across rooftops. Every little kid puts his shoe at the chimney (or the window) and sings a song, when the kid goes to sleep sinterklaas comes and puts a present in the shoe. . [[Category:Dutch culture]] [[Category:Belgian culture]] [[Category:Flanders]] {{Europe-stub}}