December 6, 2014 - St. Nicolas Day

[Yellow Lab's Rule]

We will be aboard the Noordam on St Nicolas Day. Was wondering because of Holland America's heritage is there anything special done on the ship to celebrate?

[PathfinderEss]

Not that I have ever seen.

[Boytjie]

The majority of passengers will have no idea what it is about.

 

I remember visiting Dutch friends (in South Africa, where I am from) and having dinner with the family early in December when all of a sudden after dinner they started exchanging gifts. :confused::eek::D

[SetAnOpenCourse]

We will be aboard the Noordam on St Nicolas Day. Was wondering because of Holland America's heritage is there anything special done on the ship to celebrate?

 

His feast day is an optional memorial worldwide at Catholic Masses on December 6th. You might consider this as a great way to celebrate! Mass will almost certainly be offered' date=' in one of the smaller spaces such as the Queens Lounge or a meeting room. I'm not sure about the day of embarkation.[/color']

[Ine]

St. Nicolas will be celebrated in the evening of Dec. 5 in The Netherlands.

We once sailed HAL during that day and we were offered one of the traditional delicacy called banketstaaf in our cabin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banket_%28food%29

Since many gifts on that day come with a poem, indeed we had the poem with it too.

However as far as I emember this was only given to the few dutch on board at that time.

You might find some of this delicacies at the Lido buffet that day.

[vcdarty]

A few years back, sailing in early December on another line, we noticed an icon of St. Nicholas displayed prominently on the Bridge. The Captain and several other officers were Greek, and I commented that we'd just missed the good saint's day, December 6.

 

Many chuckles, with the information that Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors and voyagers. We, too, hope to embark on Westerdam that day and shall raise a toast to the saint and all ships and passengers at sea.

 

(Incidentally, his "home" church at Myra, ancient and usually brimful of the Russian devout, is well worth a visit.)

[InTheWASide]

We were on Eurodam Dec 1-8 2010 and we had a bowl of candies and cookies delivered to the room, some incredible milk chocolate letters and some other little goodies.

 

I believe they typically deliver them to the Dutch guests onboard. We had connections with a lot of the crew and were in the Penthouse so it's possible that may have also played a factor in our receipt of these items.

[sail7seas]

We were on Eurodam Dec 1-8 2010 and we had a bowl of candies and cookies delivered to the room, some incredible milk chocolate letters and some other little goodies.

 

I believe they typically deliver them to the Dutch guests onboard. We had connections with a lot of the crew and were in the Penthouse so it's possible that may have also played a factor in our receipt of these items.

 

Yes, this is what has been on cruises we were aboard but it was for the Dutch guests. Some really delicious chocolate. :) Isn't the holiday also known as "Sinterklaas Day"?

 

 

 

[Boytjie]

Isn't the holiday also known as "Sinterklaas Day"?

 

Sinterklaas... Sint Nicolaas... Saint Nicholas... Santa Klaus...

[take us away]

for really good chocolate, I may be able to dig up a few Dutch relatives...

[Yellow Lab's Rule]

It would be nice if we received some sweet treats or they had special deserts to celebrate the day. I'll report back when we get home.

[Topo Gigio]

Sinterklaas always is accompanied by 2 or more zwarte pieten!(the black guys that helps him)

[SilvertoGold]

There could be a speical luncheon for the Dutch pax on board. We've seen this done for the Dutch Queen's birthday. You never know!

[Marianne]

What memories you have stirred. Way back when I was preschool, St Nickolas came and brought my sister and me a small gift. I remember a small doll and another time a small basket of candy. My dad was from Westphalia Germany just a few miles from the Holland border. He told me Dec 6th was the day that St Nicolas came and brought gifts to "good" children. I remember dad called it "Sant Nicklausfest". And yes, we always had some wonderful extra sweet treat too.

Marianne

[Floridiana]

Marianne,

St. Nikolaus is celebrated everywhere in Germany, not only near the Dutch border, but as far as I know the gift and poem exchange is a Dutch custom. In Germany, it's more a children's affair. St. Nikolaus and his helper bring small gifts in a huge bag.

[imae39]

We will be on Zuiderdam Dec. 5 and hope that the pastry chef will bake banket to celebrate Sinterklass. My dad and his family came to US from the Netherlands in 1927 on the Nieu Amsterdam. Grandpa was a baker in the Netherlands and made delicious banket.

[Floridiana]

The banket looks delicious. Let the maitre d' know that you feel Dutch, so you'll get one. ;) It has a Marzipan filling that many passengers might not be familiar with and let it go to waste.

[Topo Gigio]

The banket looks delicious. Let the maitre d' know that you feel Dutch, so you'll get one. ;) It has a Marzipan filling that many passengers might not be familiar with and let it go to waste.

 

Speculaas with marzipan..to die for!

[Susie51]

We were on Eurodam Dec 1-8 2010 and we had a bowl of candies and cookies delivered to the room, some incredible milk chocolate letters and some other little goodies.

 

I believe they typically deliver them to the Dutch guests onboard. We had connections with a lot of the crew and were in the Penthouse so it's possible that may have also played a factor in our receipt of these items.

 

Nice treat.

 

I have a friend who is Dutch. She told me as a child in Holland, her family would exchange gifts on St Nicholas Day. Then on Christmas they would go to church and celebrate Christ's birth.

[Ineke]

Sorry to report that there is now a huge protest movement in Holland to get rid of the 'Zwarte Pieten" due to it being considered not politically correct. Also, another huge counter-protest movement against the first one. Very sorry to read about the efforts to dismantle this tradition which goes back so many years!