Sinterklaas: A Dutch Holiday Tradition in Dutchess

Date Published: November 12, 2024

Event organizers announced that the popular annual Sinterklaas Festival in Rhinebeck will not be held in its entirety in 2024, but there will be a handful of related events throughout Dutchess County that will help keep the tradition alive this holiday season.

Sinterklaas in Rhinebeck

There will be three performances of "Into the Light," the family-friendly show created for the Sinterklaas Festival which features the magic of Arm-of-the-Sea Theater's giant puppets and The Vanaver Caravan's global dance repertoire and tells the story of a young girl in search of her community as she visits holiday traditions around the world. Performances are set for Sinterklaas Day, Dec. 7, at 1:30, 2:45 and 4 p.m. at the Rhinebeck Reformed Church. Admission is free but reservations are required. Click here for details.

Also, you will find beautiful dioramas in many of Rhinebeck's storefront windows depicting the Honored Animals of the Sinterklaas Festival. These dioramas will be installed on Nov. 21 and will be on display through Dec. 7.

While there will be no Children's Starlight Parade, Sinterklaas Pageant or Illuminated Star Ceremony in 2024, the popular stars are still available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting local food pantries. Click here to purchase a star.

Sinterklaas Day and Dutch Holiday Traditions Children's Program

Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Mesier Homestead and Museum, Wappingers Falls

Learn about the holiday traditions that the early Dutch settlers brought with them to New Netherland. See how Sinterklaasavond (St. Nicholas Eve) was celebrated in the home, and enjoy some of the traditional Dutch sweets that were part of the holidayfestivities. There will even be a surprise visit by St. Nicholas himself!

This event, which is hosted by the Wappingers Historical Society, takes place at 11 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. The target age group is elementary school children, but all ages are welcome. Click here to reserve tickets.

The History of Sinterklaas

The traditional, centuries-old Dutch character Sinterklaas (the precursor to Santa Claus in North America) was based on the fourth-century bishop Nicholas Sinterklaas, also known as St. Nicholas, who is the patron saint of children, of unwed maidens, of sailors and of the Dutch capital of Amsterdam. The Sinterklaas character wears a red cape and a tall red bishop’s hat and rides through towns knocking on doors late at night. The Feast of St. Nicholas is still celebrated in Holland each year on Dec. 6 with the giving of gifts.

The legend of Sinterklaas likely made its way to the Hudson Valley with the original Dutch explorers in the 1600s. In fact, the Dutch settlers dedicated their first church on Manhattan Island to Sinterklaas in 1642. The British took control of New Amsterdam in 1664, and over time, Sinterklaas merged with the British legend of Father Christmas. By the early 1800s, thanks in part to stories written by Washington Irving and Clement C. Moore, the character of Santa Claus began to emerge. To read the full story of Sinterklaas, click here.

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