Sinterklaas Explained for South Africans

Who is Sinterklaas, what happens on pakjesavond and why the Dutch don’t do Christmas the way we do? Sinterklaas explained for South Africans, with the 2026 dates.

If you grew up in South Africa, December means summer holidays, the beach and Father Christmas. In the Netherlands, the big December celebration for kids isn’t even Christmas. It’s Sinterklaas. And if you’re new here, it can be a very confusing few weeks. Here’s everything you need to know.

Short answer: Sinterklaas is a Dutch tradition for kids, based on Saint Nicholas. He “arrives from Spain” by steamboat in mid-November, and the big night is pakjesavond on 5 December, when families exchange gifts. Christmas is a separate, quieter celebration later in the month.

Who is Sinterklaas?

Sinterklaas is based on Saint Nicholas, a bishop from the 4th century. He’s an old man with a long white beard, a red bishop’s robe and a tall mitre, who rides a white horse over the rooftops. Yes, there’s a clear family resemblance to Father Christmas. That’s not a coincidence: Santa Claus partly grew out of the Dutch Sinterklaas.

According to the story, he lives in Spain and travels to the Netherlands every year by steamboat, with his helpers, the Pieten.

Key dates for 2026

9 November: the Sinterklaasjournaal starts, a daily “news” show for kids about Sinterklaas’ adventures
Saturday 14 November: the national arrival (intocht) in Grave, live on TV. Most towns also have their own local arrival in the weeks after
Mid-November to early December: kids “put their shoe” (schoen zetten) and find small treats in it the next morning
5 December: pakjesavond, the evening of presents
6 December: Sinterklaas’ birthday, after which he goes back to Spain

The traditions

Schoen zetten

Kids put their shoe by the fireplace or the door at night, often with a carrot for Sinterklaas’ horse and a drawing or a song. The next morning there’s a small treat inside.

Pakjesavond

On the evening of 5 December there’s a knock on the door, and a sack of presents appears. Kids open their gifts one by one. It’s the highlight of the season.

Surprises and poems

Adults and older kids often draw names (lootjes trekken) and make a surprise: a gift hidden in a creative homemade package, like a papier-mâché object, together with a teasing poem about the person. The poem is signed by “Sint”, of course. If you get invited to a Sinterklaas evening at work or with friends, this is probably what you’re in for.

The sweets

Pepernoten and kruidnoten: small, crunchy spiced biscuits, in the shops from about September
Chocolate letters: the first letter of your name in chocolate
Speculaas: spiced biscuits, sometimes shaped like Sinterklaas
Marsepein (marzipan) and taai-taai, a chewy honey biscuit

What about the Pieten?

Sinterklaas’ helpers are the Pieten. For years they were shown as Zwarte Piet, with black face paint, which became the subject of a long and heated debate in the Netherlands. Today, most national TV and many towns use roetveegpieten (soot-smudged Pieten), who only have some soot on their faces from climbing down chimneys. You’ll still see different versions in different places.

And Christmas?

Christmas still happens, but it’s more low-key. The Dutch celebrate on 25 December (Eerste Kerstdag) and 26 December (Tweede Kerstdag), usually with family dinners rather than big piles of presents. Some families now do presents at Christmas too, especially those with a mixed background.

Tips for South African families

Your kids will hear about it at school, so it’s worth playing along
Keep the magic alive: Dutch kids believe in Sinterklaas until about age 7 or 8, so be careful what you say around them
Mix traditions: plenty of expat families do Sinterklaas for the kids and a South African Christmas later in December
Stock up on pepernoten early, they disappear from the shelves