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3 days to 5 December...

Sinterklaas is the basis for the North American figure of Santa Claus. It is often claimed that during the American War of Independence the inhabitants of New York City, a former Dutch colonial town (New Amsterdam) which had been swapped by the Dutch for other territories, reinvented their Sinterklaas tradition, as Saint Nicholas was a symbol of the city's non-English past. The name Santa Claus supposedly derived from older Dutch Sinte Klaas.

In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' Eve (December 5) is the chief occasion for gift-giving and eating all special Sinterklaas sweets. The evening is called "sinterklaasavond" or "pakjesavond" ("presents evening"). In the Netherlands, children receive their presents on this evening whereas in Belgium, children put their shoe in front of the fireplace on the evening of December 5, then go to bed, and find the presents around the shoes on the morning of the 6th.

Traditionally, if a child had been naughty, the Zwarte Pieten would stuff the child in a sack and threaten to beat it with a broom or a stick. Then all the naughty children, in sacks, were said to be taken back with Sinterklaas to Spain (it is believed that Sinterklaas comes from Spain, where he returns at the end of the night). Today, this is usually considered unpaedagogical and parents have ceased to tell their children this story in earnest. Nevertheless, many Sinterklaas songs still allude to a watching Zwarte Piet and a judging Sinterklaas.

Traditionally, in the weeks between his arrival and December 5, before going to bed, children put their shoes next to the fireplace chimney of the coal fired stove or fireplace, or, in modern times, next to the central heating or at the front door. The shoe is to have a carrot or some hay in it and a bowl of water "for Sinterklaas' horse, Amerigo!" and the children sing some Sinterklaas songs; the next day they will find some candy or a small present in their shoes. When a house has no chimney, Sinterklaas or Black Pete is said to enter using his special key that fits on every door in the Netherlands.


source wikipedia [dot] org

it's December love

it's the time of drinking hot chocolat,

of reading Jane Austen at the fire place

of buying gifts for your family

of sending cards to your friends.

it's the time of century old songs,

of the smell of cinnamon and cardamom,

of almost forgotten stories

of writing long St. Nicolas poems.

it's the time of long red scarfs,

of the magic in the air

of burning candles and dreaming of snow

it's the countdown to Christmas. 

listening to Edith Piaf

source images we hear it [dot] com

Art on Thursday

The Girl who carries all winter with her

source

Dress like it's November

These days I wear gray brown black...

Who said those aren't colours?

photo's from we heart it [dot] com & lookbook [dot] nu

Costume Parties are the best

truly.

A November Weekend

photo by A.F.V.

oui, c'est moi!

I spend this weekend in the country, along with some friends.

It was amazing!

Etsy Founds

[ click on the images to go to those wonderful shops ]

Waiting for the first snow

Ooh, that cold November days...

[source images click // we hear it [dot] com // tags winter snow magic ]

How to make the most delicious hot chocolate

A recipe by Bo
Ingredients
Milk
Very dark, bitter couverture chocolate 
(but if you don't have the money, even Nesquik will do)
Dark Chocolate sprinkles 
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Chilli pepper
Cardamom






First, slowly heat up the milk, while mixing.
Then melt down the chocolate.
The more you melt, the darker the chocolate will be,
but be careful, and keep mixing.
Never add water to the couverture.
If it's all melted, add it to the milk, 
together with the dark chocolate sprinkles.
Add one spoon of brown sugar, and add the species by your taste.
Cinnamon and cardamom will make it sweeter,
the nutmeg and chilli pepper will give it that deeper, darker taste.
You can put on some chantilly if you like :)


Enjoy!

- chocolate is nature's way of making up for mondays -