Saturday's Surprise

Saturday's surprise in town.
I went to town last Saturday and to my surprise it was already so busy in town. Usually around the time I went to town it is not so busy yet. I saw policemen and policewomen - more than the usual numbers. Hmm, I think to myself, is there something going on in town today? What could it be? Then the idea hit me. Of course, the Sinterklaastocht.

Even though the Sinterklaas (birth)day is supposed to be on 5th December, the tocht is usually carried out a couple of weeks before.

Explanation
Tocht = Tour

Getting Ready for Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet

Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet... hmmm... that reminds me of the story I was always told when I was a kid. But in that story, Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet always came during Christmas period instead on December 5th and Zwarte Piet was someone you should be afraid of if you had been a naughty kid. They story was that Zwarte Piet would put you in his sack and/or hit your butt with his broom.

Anyway, as always here in the Netherlands, the preparation for the event itself came very early. This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago. Note that the Sinterklaas' day is celebrated on December 5th.

More on Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet to come on December 5th.