Sinterklaas in in het land and for many people this means a lot of joy and excitement. Certainly for Dutch children. There favorite thing to say is: ik zet mijn schoen (I set/put/leave) my shoe. If you think about it, it is not a bad idea. It only takes one minute or so and the next day you can find pepernoten or een chocoladeletter in your shoe, and if you are lucky, you could even get more… The only thing is that there are certain rules that you have to follow…..
Je schoen zetten, putting your shoe for Sinterklaas is relatively easy. You can do it as soon as Sinterklaas arrives with his stoomboot (steamboat), which is more or less in the middle of November. You can do it until the 5th of December, because on the 6th of December he will go to Spain again. Just watch the media closely in November, because the arrival of Sinterklaas will always be live on Dutch television!
Yes! There are some important do’s and don’ts!
The first thing that you need to do, is that your shoe is relatively clean. Although both Sinterklaas en Zwarte Piet are not that picky, it does not help of course, if it really smells… A dirty smell is not that inviting! Make sure that you take out your sweaty socks of course and make sure that the soles are clean….
If you have a chimney, then the logical place is to put your shoe there, before you go to bed. If you do not have a chimney, then don’t worry… Somehow Sinterklaas or Zwarte Piet will find their way in your home, so you don’t have to leave windows open. Somehow, they have some special powers and if needed, they will be able to find access to your shoe without any problems…
It would be great if you sing a song, but it is not really necessary. It does not matter if you sing a bit flat and if you like, you can also play a cd! A popular song goes like this:
Sinterklaas Kapoentje
Gooi wat in mijn schoentje
Gooi wat in mijn laarsje
Dank je Sinterklaasje
The main idea of the text is that you ask Sinterklaas to throw something in your shoe or boot and then you say: dank je Sinterklaasje. This last thing is very important, because real gratitude and positive expectations are the key to your Sinterklaas succes!
Although it is not obligatory, you can put some carrots or hay in your shoe… Somehow it is very thoughtful, because Amerigo, the white horse of Sinterklaas has to jump over many roofs, so a carrot or some hay is a great sign of appreciation. Don’t overdo it, don’t exaggerate! It only needs to be a small and kind gesture.
If you like, you can also write a personal letter and… you can even add een verlanglijst, which is literally a longing list, you call it wish list in English. It is a good idea to start small, don’t immediately ask for a new iPhone if Sinterklaas just arrived in November 🙂 It is also a good idea to write a thank you letter if you receive something….
Here is a great thing: although Sinterklaas comes from Spain, you do not have to sing or write in Spanish. He will perfectly understand you if you sing and write in Dutch and nowadays he is open for other languages too, such as English 🙂
Don’t worry about your Dutch, Sinterklaas will always understand you!
Normally, there is a relation with your behavior and the presents that you receive in your shoe. If you are naughty and if you do bad things, then chances are high that you will only find lousy things in your shoe, if you find anything at all… In the past Sinterklaas used to threaten people to abduct them to Spain in a sack , but… these horror days are now over.. If you are not good enough, then you’ll receive nothing and that is it!
Another important aspect is modesty. Only put one shoe or one pair of shoes at the time. Also, don’t put your shoe every night, because Sinterklaas is very busy and he can’t visit all the houses every night… Somehow he has to make a selection. And once again, if you start to ask for things, start small and… don’t ask for money, because this will certainly offend Sinterklaas!
If you get something, even when it is small, always show some gratitude. Somehow, the more positive you are, the more you’ll receive….
Here is another important thing… in order to receive things in your shoe it is absolutely important that you truly believe in Sinterklaas. If somehow you doubt, chances are high that nothing will happen. Sinterklaas is very sensitive and somehow he doesn’t like it when people doubt his existence, even if it is only for one minute. That is why he prefers to serve children first, because they tend to be more open and genuine.
Here is another strange thing… Somehow it seems that Sinterklaas does not really like single people. If you live alone then chances are 100% that he will ignore you. The real reason behind it is still unknown, but if you want to increase your success rate when it comes to receiving, there must be someone else in your house that night, preferably a Dutch person. This person should not be a stranger, because somehow it only works if you have a good relation with this person. You could almost believe that there is a message 🙂
For the rest, enjoy! Just play and experiment! If you receive things in your shoe then be happy and enjoy this magic. If nothing happens, then please never doubt yourself…. Chances are high that Sinterklaas still loves you, but… an important value for him is that he wants to serve children first, so if there is nothing in your shoe, then probably it was just a lack of time! Or… somehow, Sinterklaas will do some great things to you in another way… if all of a sudden you get promotion or if you find a new partner…. that could also be the work of Sinterklaas!
One thing is certain… no matter what you’ll find in your shoe or in real life…. Sinterklaas works in mysterious ways!
What is your experience with je schoen zetten? Share your experience here!
