Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 03/99) - Sinterklaas is coming to town Sunday!

"It will be interesting to see Sinterklaas ride downtown on horseback," says Koop Alkema, who's helping organize the visit.

Sinterklaas and his helpers, the zwarte Pieten -- the Black Petes who originally entered houses through chimneys and left donations for villagers -- will depart from St. Pat's Church at 3 p.m. Sunday. The group will make its way along 52nd St. and 51st Ave. then onto Franklin Ave., arriving at Javaroma in the NorthwesTel building at 4 p.m.

Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) and the Petes will entertain with stories, songs and candy for the kids, Alkema said.

"Traditionally, Sinterklaas arrives on a boat. He then rides through town. It's like the Santa Claus parade. In Yellowknife, the boat ride would be difficult though," Alkema said.

The gathering promises to be a good time for all, he said. That's gezellig in Dutch and gemutlich in German.

The Dutch and Germans commemorate the kindness of Sinterklaas -- the Bishop of Myra -- every Dec. 5.

According to legend, Sinterklaas saved his village from starvation in the fourth century. He enlisted helpers, Black Petes, because he was a shy man who preferred to stay out of the limelight.

Dutch and Germans keep the spirit of Sinterklaas, who died Dec. 6, AD 352, alive by celebrating his kindness, Alkema said.

This will be Sinterklaas' first-ever visit to Yellowknife. But North Americans are well aware of Sinterklaas' North American counterpart.

Dutch and German settlers brought the Sinterklaas celebration with them to North America where it would be adapted and moved to Dec. 25.

But, notes Alkema, in Holland and Germany, the Sinterklaas celebration and the celebration of birth of Christ remain separate.

"Some (Dutch and German) families give presents. Christmas Eve is dinner with family and friends and there are church services," he said.

"There's lots of eating and Christmas trees are really big," he said.

"And if you think there's a lot of Christmas lights in Yellowknife, you should see Holland."