Dutch Christmas Traditions : Sinterklaas & Pepernoten

Dutch Christmas Celebration.

In Holland, Saint Nicholas goes by the name of Sinterklaas. He actually arrives in the Netherlands by boat in mid-November and races around the country, visiting every town in just one afternoon. On 5 December, children must leave their shoes out near the chimney before bed with a note or drawing inside and sing songs to Sinterklaas. If they have been good his Dutch helpers, the Pieten will visit their homes to leave presents and perhaps some of these yummy biscuits called Pepernoten, or spice nuts.  If you would like to enjoy this Dutch delicacy, here’s the recipe, which has been especially passed on by Sinterklaas or Santa as we call him.

PEPERNOTEN

Makes 50 – 60 biscuits

What you need

150g honey

100g soft brown sugar

300g rye flour

1 ½ tsps. salt

2 tsps. ground aniseed

25ml water

10g baking powder, sifted

Sunflower oil, for greasing

1.   Place the honey in a pan and gently heat. Take the pan off the heat; stir in the sugar and rye flour. Once it’s created a dough, turn the heat off and let the dough cool a little then carefully knead.

2.   Add the salt, aniseed, water and baking powder. Knead the dough again. Add a splash more water if the dough is too dry. Then put in a bowl and cover with Clingfilm. Let the dough rest for 1 day at room temperature.

3.   Preheat oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease your hand with a little sunflower oil and take small pieces of dough and roll into marble size balls.  Put the balls in a greased cake tin and bake in oven for 20 minutes. Once cooked, simple tear the Pepernoten apart.

Enjoy! And should you decide to make this a Christmas your family will never forget then you could always visit Santa in his Lapland home and take him some Pepernoten! 

Christmas Holly Trees

Christmas is getting closer. So exciting! While we look forward to a visit from Santa, or maybe a trip to see him at home in Lapland, here is a quick glance at the traditions and story behind a popular Christmas symbol.

Holly been used as a festive decoration for a very long time, ages before it was used in the Christian festival of Christmas.  As the Holly tree is in full glory in the colder months, with its brilliant red berries and glossy green leaves, it is hardly surprising that our pagan ancestors regarded it as magical.

The Romans believed that the leaves prickly leaves scared away evil spirits. They would send the branches with presents for the festival of Saturnalia.

For the druids, the holly represented eternal life. The Celts would put holly on their doors to keep any passing demons at bay.

An old Christian belief declares that the Holly first sprang up under the footsteps of Christ, and its thorny leaves and scarlet berries, like drops of blood, have been thought symbolical of the Saviour's sufferings. The tree was once called the Holy Tree. Other popular names for it are Hulver and Holme, and it is still called Hulver in Norfolk, and Holme in Devon, and Holme Chase in one part of Dartmoor.

Christian legend says one winter night, the holly miraculously grew leaves out of season in order to hide baby Jesus from Herod's soldiers. Since then, it has been an evergreen as a token of Christ's gratitude.

In Germany, holly is called Christdorn in memory of Christ's crown of thorns. According to legend, the holly's branches were woven into a painful crown and placed on Christ's head while the soldiers mocked him. According to this legend, the holly's berries used to be white but Christ's blood left them with a permanent crimson stain.

To see a spectacular display of holly, visit Kew Garden’s Holly Walk, which has the largest collection of hollies in Europe with over 56 species and hybrids. Much of the collection is over 130 years old.

For a natural look in your house this Christmas you can use holly to make a wreath or make a swag to go on your mantelpiece. Just make sure it’s not positioned anywhere its likely to give Santa an unpleasant surprise as he descends down the chimney. Also bear in mind Holly berries are toxic so keep all decorations out of the reach of small hand and pets.

Christmas in Germany: Stollen, Nikolaustag and Gingerbread cakes

German Christmas Traditions

Christmas is called Weihnachten in Germany and officially begins on the first Sunday of Advent. Stollen and spicy biscuits to decorate the tree are often backed at this time. Christmas markets pop up in towns throughout Germany and region has its own speciality. The most famous and largest Christmas market is the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt, which is known for its gold foil angels and locally produced gingerbread cakes. At least 375 years old, it is also one of the oldest Weihnachtsmärkte in Germany.

The market at Aachen is known for its gingerbread men. The regions around the Erzgebirge mountain range are famous for their handmade wooden crafts. Augsburg has a life-sized Advent calendar and starts the season with the "Angel Play." At the Frankfurt Christmas Market, visitors will find Quetschenmännchen (little prune men) and Brenten (almond cookies).

The night before December 6^th which is Nikolaustag, (St. Nicholas Day); children leave their shoes or boots outside the front door.

That night, St. Nikolaus, visits and fills them with chocolates, oranges and nuts if the children have been been good. Nikolaus’ sidekick, his servant Knecht Ruprecht, will leave bundles of twigs in the shoes for the children who have been naughty and have had their names written in his ‘black book’.

STOLLEN

This traditional German Christmas fruit bread may seem to have a lot of ingredients but it does make a large bread, which will be enough for around 15 helpings. Offer it to guests as an alternative to mince pies.

WHAT YOU NEED

1kg plain flour

1 teaspoon lukewarm milk

Half teaspoon caster sugar

80g fresh yeast or 25g dried active baking yeast

200g caster sugar

350ml lukewarm milk

200g sultanas

250g blanched almonds, coarsely chopped

200g cut mixed peel

1/2 tablespoon salt

250g butter

2 egg yolks

Plus, to decorate

2 tablespoons melted butter

Icing sugar for dusting

What to do:

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Extra time: 2 hours, proofing

1. Crumble yeast over the flour in a bowl. Sprinkle with caster sugar and pour milk over. Cover and prove in a warm place for 1 hour.

2. Heat together remaining milk and butter in a pan over low heat.

3. Mix all the remaining ingredients together, except the sultanas. Work into the risen dough. Finally, add the sultanas.

4. Cover bowl and prove in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in volume.

5. Remove dough and shape into an rectangular loaf tin. Transfer to a baking parchment lined baking tray. Bake in a preheated 180 C / Gas 4 oven for 30-35 minutes.

7. Immediately after baking, brush Stollen with melted butter and dust liberally with icing sugar.

SANTA'S CHRISTMAS CAKE

Every year Father and Mrs Christmas make their Christmas cake at the beginning of November. It can be made up to 6 months in advance and should always be made at least three weeks before you want to eat it otherwise it tends to be a little crumbly.  Here is Father and Mrs Christmas’ very special Christmas cake recipe. It’s very easy and a big hit with the elves.

Here’s what you need

1kg mixed dried fruits (any blend of raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel, dried cranberries, glacé cherries, dates or dried figs)

            150ml sherry, brandy, rum or brewed tea, plus extra for feeding

            zest and juice 2 lemons, 2 oranges or 4 clementine’s

            250g pack unsalted butter , softened, plus extra for the tin

            250g soft brown sugar

            2 tsp. vanilla extract

            4 eggs

            200g plain flour

            2 tsp. mixed spice

And here’s what you have to do.

1.     Put the dried fruit mixture into a large bowl and add alcohol or tea. Mix and over then leave overnight.

2.     Heat oven to 160c,/140c fan/gas 3. Butter and double line a cake tine. Measurements should be  20cm round or 18cm square. Wrap the outside of the tin with brown paper and secure with string.

3.     Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together until creamy.

4.     Beat in each egg individually, adding a tablespoon of the flour in between each egg.

5.     Add the rest of the flour, fruit and alcohol mix and mixed spice. Stir everything together. Don’t forget to get all of the family to have a stir and make a wish as they do!  Then scrape mixture into the prepared cake tin.

6.     Pop in the oven and cook for one and a half hours. Turn oven down to 140c/120c fan/gas 1 and cook for another 45 mins – 1 hour. Poke an elf’s ski stick or a skewer, depending on what’s closest to hand, deep into the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.

7.     Let the cake cool in the tin, then take out and wrap in greaseproof paper. Keep in an airtight (and elf proof) box. Every week, give the cake a few pokes with the skewer and pour in  a little of your chosen alcohol or tea.

When you’re ready to decorate you can go to town. Santa likes Royal Icing but Mrs. Claus much prefers fondant. The choice is yours.  Enjoy!

Christmas Toys 2012

Christmas Wishlist 2012

Now might be time for the children to start thinking about writing their letters to Santa and they can do it from this website if they wish. They probably are brimming with ideas of what they dream of for Christmas this year. Just in case, anyone is stuck for inspiration, here are some of the toys on the market that are sure to be in high demand. Make sure you get that letter off in plenty of time to avoid disappointment.

FURBY

Yes, the furry Furby has returned.  Furby 2012 is high tech and comes in a range of colours.  The Furby has its own personality, feeds, loves a tickle and learns as the child plays with it.  There’s also an optional Furby app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

KURIO

Even the youngest of children are now au fait with tablet computers but here is one especially designed for all the family. Kurio runs the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Google’s Android operating system and is pretty similar to the normal tablets. However, to keep kids safe and parents resassured, monitoring the Kurio is very straight forward, even making sure that it switches off at bedtime.

LEGO FRIENDS RIDING CAMP

Everything a child who loves horses could want. Saddle up the pony and take part in a lesson in the paddock or head off out for a hack.   Evening times are spent hanging out in camp, roasting marshmallows and settling down in the bunkhouse. There are hours of fun to be had and imaginations will be off to a galloping start.

SPIDERMAN WEB SHOOTING SPIDER MAN

Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can! And this new Amazing Spiderman Motorised Web has not one but two motorised web shooters, which even make web slinging sounds. A must for all fans of this superhero.

THE NERF ELITE HAIL-FIRE BLASTER

This is the ultimate in blaster performance. Takes N Strike battling to  to a new Level with the  Hail-Fire blaster.  Its unique rotating ammo rack gives it the highest capacity of any Nerf  blaster. 

BARBIE PUPPY PLAY PARK

Most little girls love Barbie and most little girls love puppies – this toy combines the two.  Barbie’s pet pooches get to play in the park and she teaches them new trick with hand claps. 

Hopefully there is something here that provides inspiration. Just think Santa Claus is merrily working away in his home in Lapland, rushing to get things ready for Christmas. He’s never too busy though to see friends though, so should anyone want to come by and see him, there will be always be a warm welcome.