Today is a special day for two reasons. First, it is Sinterklaas Avond, an important holiday in the Netherlands and Belgium. Second, it marks the launching of a new feature for Velominati which we are calling the Kermis.
A Kermis is a carnival usually marked by a criterium bicycle race held around the perimeter of the festival grounds. Because of its repetitive nature, we are applying this name to a new feature allowing us to post articles from our archives which we feel are worth revisiting, either to examine how our viewpoints may (or may not) have evolved since the article’s original posting or, as is the case today, there is simply a fun reason to repost a past work. You can access the original article and discussion via the links in the footer of the Kermis.
We hope you enjoy the feature, and we kick it off with this little view into one of the Dutch traditions I grew up with and cherish to this day. On behalf of the Keepers, I wish you a Gelukkig Sinterklaas.
Yours in Cycling,
Frank
[kermis id=6581/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
All crazy Dutchie stuff. I am sure drinking is involved.
Grazinken Sinterklaas, or whatever it is...
Where have I seen this before? Ah, I like it!
Di2 cross bike? I'll take one! Since Piet might not be bring me one this year I'll have to settle for something less. How's this? My right Force shifter broke on my cx bike two weeks ago. I've been patiently awaiting a new one, but growing increasingly pissed it hasn't arrived. I got a call from the LBS today. SRAM has never heard of or seen my broken shifter. Bastards. Plus, they have no Force shifters on hand.
Thus, they are forced to send me...a pair of RED shifters. Hotfuckingdog!
I remember when living in Belgium in the mid 70's, each year during the week before Sinterklaasavond the evening TV news would report each night the progress of Sint Nicolaas' white ship inbound from Spain.
Then on the day of Sinterklaasavond there would be live TV coverage of the ship arriving and tying up to the pier. The ship would be crewed by several dozen of Sint Nicholaas' little Moorish helpers, the zwarte Pietes, all tossing oranges and candies to the children on the dock. Later a ramp would be lowered from the side of the ship, and Sint Nicholas wearing a white and yellow embroidered robe and miter hat, would ride his white horse off the ship and to city hall where he would meet the Mayor and get the key to the city.
Even then I wondered where they got so many black guys to play the zwarte Pietes because they weren't in black face, and you really didn't see very many folks of African descent in Belgium or Holland at the time.
Anyway, I'll be putting my shoes by the front door tonight. Gelukkig Sinterklassavond to all!
I was just thinking the other day that it would be cool to review some of the older articles in more depth as we've all matured a bit (only a bit) since they first came out. It's the comments on the old stuff that get me - the first couple of pages on the Rules page are a hoot.
Other religions sweep away the embarrassing early scriptures that don't fit with current orthodoxy (like those pesky additional Commandments including the one that says "Get over yourself"). We however don't consign our original non-canonical wanderings to jars in forgotten desert caves - we publish them again so everyone knows how we got here - wherever that is.
@Dan_R
Gesundheit.
@Ron
Score.
The Kermis is a success just for this line alone. Damn that made me laugh.
@wiscot
A-Merckx brother.
Gelukkig Sinterklaas! In honor of the day my VMH and I went to the bike shop and got some new gear. We have wanted to go for a while and this pushed it over the edge. We are American but both have Dutch ancestry, so we are getting back to our roots. Cheers
I really like this photo. Half the photo is Santa on a horse that appears to be crapping apples with Claus telling the over anxious kids "pick up those crap apples children". Then on the right side of the photo you have a crazed Moor on a mule scaring children away from Santa and the apple crapping horse. Great! This is now my laptop background for the time being. Gelukkig Sinterklaas
Bring on the Kermis I say. I do like from time to time click articles that catch my attenton at the bottom of the pages under the "recent & random articals" banner. There are some chestnuts in there for sure and it would be good to reopen the discussion on such topics.
The little kid in the foreground of the title picture is quite clearly scared witless of Santa's big fcking horse about to kick the shit out of him!
Happy ssdidjsiyegeflik , forgive my pronunciation