Sinterklaas and his Pieten visit Ameland every year. He will come in mid-November and will leave for Spain again in early December, after his birthday. Sinterklaas is very popular on the Wadden Island and the good saint has a warm place in his heart for the Amelander children. He takes great pleasure in crossing the Wadden Sea by ferry. His own steamboat is too big for the shallow mudflats, so the parcels and gingerbread nuts are transferred to the Wagenborg ferry.
Sinterklaas tradition on the island
- Sinterklaas on Ameland
- Zwarte Piet on the ferry
- Welcome to Nes
- The former town hall
- Disaster on arrival
- Sinterklaas celebration at the schools
- Sinterklaas in De Stelp
- Christmas Eve
- Farewell in Hollum
- Songs
- Oh Moeke
- Things will be different in 2020
Sinterklaas on Ameland
Celebrating Sinterklaas is the most popular tradition in the Netherlands. No research has yet been done into this on Ameland, but that could also apply to the Wadden Island. Amelanders are passionate Sinterklaas celebrants, with their own traditions and customs surrounding the arrival and Christmas Eve.
Zwarte Piet on the ferry
Every year around mid-November, Sinterklaas and his Pieterbaas come to Ameland on a special ferry from Wagenborg Passenger Services. He leaves the steamboat in the harbor of the place where he arrives in the Netherlands that year. The draft in the Wadden Sea does not allow steamboats. However, the Wagenborg ferry is specialized in crossings from Holwerd to Ameland and transports the Saintly Man wholeheartedly. The joint Associations of Village Interests of Hollum, Ballum, Buren and Nes organize the parade. During the arrival on Ameland in 2020, Pete will still be Black Pete.
Welcome to Nes
All children on the island with their parents, grandparents and uncles and aunts are invited to welcome Sinterklaas on the pier and then in Nes. A music band is waiting for Saint Nicholas on the ferry dam, who will musically accompany the procession from the ferry to Nes. The mayor of Ameland accompanies Sinterklaas to the center of the village and if the mayor is unable to attend, the councilor or someone else will do so. Sometimes this happens in a carriage and sometimes in a car. It just depends on what the Village Interests have organized for Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the bishop rides to the village on horseback.
Sinterklaas, the mayor Albert de Hoop and Tuzo de Haan on the balcony / Source: Ameland Press Agency
The former town hall
Previously, the whole of Ameland greeted Sinterklaas on the balcony of the former town hall on Rixt van Doniastraat. The town hall is now located in Ballum and the old town hall has been given a different function. Nowadays, a separate stage is placed at De Afslag, as that place in the village is called, where Saint Nicholas has ample space and where children have space to sing to him and tell him something.
Mayor or councilor
The mayor or alderman gives a welcome speech and Saint Nicholas also speaks a word to those present. He almost always mentions how happy he is to be back on Ameland and how pleased he is to say that the children have been quite sweet and kind last year. From the stage he promises that the Pieten, who at the same time make the most crazy antics and sometimes even stand on top of the roofs of the adjacent buildings, will give them nice presents.
On the stage at the Afslag / Source: Ameland Press Agency
Disaster on arrival
Something almost always goes wrong before or during the welcome. It’s like the devil is playing with it. Sometimes it is so foggy that Saint Nicholas cannot find the Nes pier, other times the big book is lost and there has also been a fire under the stage where Saint Nicholas was standing. Every time the problem is solved by Pete, the mayor, the councilor, a child or by Sinterklaas himself, so that there are no longer any obstacles to a wonderful Sinterklaas party.
Bag with goodies
All primary school children receive a bag of goodies to take home after the welcome. For years, free buses ran to Nes and back especially for the children from Hollum and Ballum, but that free transport was abolished in 2016.
Sinterklaas celebration at the schools
The primary schools on Ameland each celebrate their own Sinterklaas party at school. The boss comes by and takes one or two Petes with him. The schoolchildren sing, perform dances and make drawings. The Pieten sprinkle, dance and make jokes.
Kale
One of the island traditions is eating kale on the day of the Sinterklaas festival.
Sinterklaas in De Stelp
The Sinterklaas festival is also celebrated annually in the De Stelp residential care center in Hollum. While Sinterklaas has a warm place in his heart for Ameland, he especially has a warm spot for the people in De Stelp. He likes to come there and with his Pieten – who specialize in the somewhat older Amelander – organizes a fun party where there are plenty of old Sinterklaas songs sung and lots of laughter.
Christmas Eve
Like everywhere in the Netherlands, Amelander children are allowed to put their shoes on from the moment Sinterklaas is welcomed. Pakjesavond is celebrated around Sinterklaas’ birthday. Previously, the Amelander children put a körfke , a basket, in which the Zwarte Pieten could put the presents. The children found the box the next morning and marveled at the contents and then threw themselves into unpacking. This custom has increasingly made way for a Parcel Evening, where the family comes together to unpack the parcels one by one, preferably accompanied by hilarious poems and special surprises .
Sint says goodbye with loose hands / Source: Ameland Press Agency
Farewell in Hollum
The day after Saint Nicholas’ birthday, approximately, it is time to say goodbye again. Traditionally, this happens from Hollum: Saint Nicholas arrives in Nes and departs from Hollum. After visiting De Schakel primary school, Sinterklaas gets on his gray horse and, preceded by the Forza Musica band, makes a tour through the village. Along the way he is offered a drink at one of the local establishments, which he downs with relish. Sometimes the old man is in a crazy mood and says goodbye with loose hands. After the tour, Santa disappears from view. The children and their families stay for a while with the music band, which plays the farewell song ‘Goodbye Sinterklaasje’.
Songs
Sinterklaas can hear special Amelander Sinterklaas songs on Ameland.
An example of this is the song Zwarte Piet went out cycling.
Zwarte Piet went out cycling.
Then his tire broke. Then he had to walk, all over Ameland, from Hollum to Ballum, from Buren to Nes. That was a walk of about six hours.
Oh Moeke
A traditionally popular Sinterklaas song on Ameland is the song
Ochmoeke hear een een ook by H. Bruining and HJ den Hertog.
Oh, Mommy, listen,
I really wanted a doll. Would Sinterklaas give it to me? If I asked him for it, Mom laughed and said: ,I don’t know. You should just ask Griet.,
When it was evening, Grietje asked for
a doll in her. shoe And sang a very beautiful song From Sinterklaas Kapoen But Sinterklaas who said: boo-boo! Then she quickly went to bed
But oh, that other morning Guess what Gretel saw? What was half hidden from her on the table? You guessed it well, it was a doll
With such a candy-like hat on
Things will be different in 2020
In 2020, tradition is forced to be broken. Due to corona measures, an inauguration cannot take place on the ferry dam and in the center of Nes. Sinterklaas and the Pieten drive to the children in a decorated car. The organization hopes to be able to celebrate it in the traditional way again in 2021.
Sinterklaas on Ameland
Legend
A . Arrival of Sinterklaas
B. Welcoming Sinterklaas
C . Farewell to Sinterklaas
read more
- Former mayor of Ameland: Albert de Hoop
- Wild noise – Sinterklaas rites in winter time
- Sinterklaas exists! The book by Bram van der Vlugt