Nas casas-cubo de Roterdão nesta Pakjesavond

No passado sábado, levados por um casal amigo. Nunca tinha ido até lá e gostei bastante de visitar.
É o meu presente para vós, nesta Noite dos Presentes (Pakjesavond), que hoje celebramos nos Países Baixos.

Casas-cubo em Roterdão (Kubuswoningen)
Arquitecto: Piet Blom (1934-1999)
Data: 1977

Uma aldeia numa cidade, em que cada casa representa uma árvore e o conjunto uma floresta.

A quem vive por cá, uma Noite de Presentes muito feliz!

E que o São Nicolau vos traga presentes giros e engraçados!

No video abaixo:

A partir dos 20:00, podem ver a chegada oficial do São Nicolau aos Países Baixos, no seu barco dos presentes a vapor (de acordo com a tradição,vindo de Espanha), no passado mês de Novembro ( é sempre no primeiro sábado depois do dia 11, Dia de São Martinho). E dos seus ajudantes, os Pedros Pretos (ZwartePieten). E depois, o passeio pela cidade, junto das crianças, no seu belo cavalo branco, o Amerigo, que hoje não será esquecido também, pois os petizes costumam deixar-lhe uma cenoura como presente.

Geniet ervan! Divirtam-se!

Pakjesavond

Vendaval. Chuva. Frio. Hoje o dia está assim. Bom para estar em casa, no quentinho, a preparar a Pakjesavond  (Noite dos Presentes) que se celebra esta noite. 

Hoje, as crianças colocam os seus sapatinhos (ou meias) junto à lareira (ou ao radiador) para que o Sinterklaas (São Nicolau) deixe lá os seus presentes, com a ajuda dos Pedros Pretos, claro. O cavalo do Sinterklaas, o Amerigo, também não é esquecido. À sua espera, numa taça, está uma cenoura ou um pouco de feno. Afinal, a noite é bastante cansativa, que os meninos portaram-se todos muito bem durante o ano e há muitas casas para visitar e presentes (simples e simbólicos) para distribuir, especialmente, as famosas letras de chocolate com a inicial do nome de cada um... 

A manhã promete ser animada, pois a entrega das prendinhas é geralmente acompanhada de uns versos humorísticos e divertidos sobre as pessoas a quem elas se destinam e que estas devem ler em voz alta para gáudio de todos os convivas.

Bom, agora, se me dão licença, vou ali tentar esgalhar algumas rimas ...;-)) 

Divirtam-se por aí!

Happy Pakjesavond!

Happy Pakjesavond!  :-)

From Coisas Minhas III

(My friend R. offered me this postcard - among many others - on my last birthday.)

A couple of days before Sinterklaas arrival on December, 5 children put their shoes next to the fireplace chimney or next to the central heating unit, with a carrot or some hay in it and a bowl of water nearby, for Amerigo, the Sinterklaas horse.

On December, 6 they usually find a candy or a small present in their shoes, especially a chocolate letter (the first letter of the child's name), speculaas and pepernoten (biscuits) and marzipan figures.Gifts are usually accompanied by a humorous poem teasing the well-known bad habits of each member of the family.

Have fun!

Between Festivities

I like very much the Autumn and the beginning of Winter in The Netherlands with all the season festivities: Saint Martin's Day, Sinterklaas Arrival , Pakjesavond and finally, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

November, 11: Saint Martin's Day

From Magusto 2011

This year was the most cheerful Saint Martin's Day that I have ever enjoyed! I didn't stop all evening. Many children knocked at my door with their paper lanterns, singing Saint Martin's songs. In the end of the evening, the three bowls filled with candies got almost empty! That means all the children have sung very well. ;-)

We think it's important to participate in our host country traditions. We feel more integrated in the Dutch society.

As you can see by the photo, we celebrated Saint Martin's day in a mixed way: Dutch pepernoten with roasted chestnuts, as we do in Portugal.
We didn't have água- pé, a low alchoolic beverage that we traditionally drink in Saint Martin's Day in Portugal, so we drank Port wine.


November, 12: Sinterklaas arrival

This year we didn't see Sinterklaas arrival in Almere Haven. We were very tired because of the improvements we have been doing in the house. We also have disassembled furniture we didn't want anymore and gave it away. This house is smaller than our previous one and we are struggling to have more space available. Besides, in the previous week to Sinterklaas arrival, I had participated in a very interesting Dutch course in Bussum. I must tell you about it later! ;-)

December, 5: Pakjesavond

From Natal 2011

We enjoyed a very nice Pakjesavond, eating chocolate letters, pepernoten and speculaas, according to Dutch tradition. However, we gave it a Portuguese touch by drinking Port wine. ;-)
As I told you here before, this time, I shared this evening with my beloved goddaughter in Portugal. Also with my mom, to whom I sent a Dutch umbrella as a Sinterklaas gift, perfect to face strong winds.
I think it's very interesting to share with my beloved ones in Portugal the traditions of my host country.

From Coisas Minhas - Chapéu de Chuva

We also enjoyed a couple of meetings with friends during this Autumn.
We met the newborn twins of a Dutch-Indonesian couple. I told you about Meiko, my Indonesian friend, before. Do you remember her Indonesian recipes?

From Coisas Minhas

Another very special ocasion was K.'s husband's birthday. K. is a Dutch teacher. Generally, we meet once a week to practice my Dutch so she can correct my mistakes and in return I give her Portuguese lessons.
K. is also Hungarian. So, for the first time, I tasted a homemade Hungarian Goulash. Curiously, it was made by her Dutch husband.
I want to ask her for the Goulash recipe but I will wait untill January. As I said, these are busy times in The Netherlands, with a lot of Festivities going on and for now our meetings are standing by.

From Coisas Minhas - Goulash

Christmas and Boxing Day

I already finished all the preparations. I painted the kitchen and the living room (this one is almost done). The decorations, the Christmas tree and the Christmas stall are in place already. Also my Christmas postcards are on their way. :-)

From Natal 2011

This year it hasn't snowed so far. I wish it had! I'm a big fan of a White Christmas!

We haven't had the time to go to the Christmas markets in Germany either. Some domestic issues to solve:a broken washing machine, the replacement of the kitchen's tap (I hope we can manage it to do it on the third time), etc.

Nevertheless, we are enjoying the season and we hope to have a quiet and cozy Christmas evening.

In the following days, I will publish some photos of our Christmas Stall (Presépio) and all the Christmas decorations. I also have a special post for Christmas Day ;-) Stay tuned!

Pakjesavond

This evening is "Pakjesavond" or Gifts Night (Saint Nicholas Eve).
Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) will bring some gifts for the children who have behaved properly during the year.

It's time to enjoy...

Pepernoten...

From Coisas Minhas II

Speculaas...

From Coisas Minhas II

and to receive, specially the children, a chocolate letter with the Christian name initial...

From Coisas Minhas II

...as well as a nice gift like an agenda, perhaps? ;-)

From Coisas Minhas II

I sent a package with these gifts to my goddaughter, so she can experience a little bit of Sinterklaas.

She told me that she took the perpenoten to the school and shared them with her schoolmates. 

In the end of the day, she said, there was nothing left :-))

...

We've just enjoyed this movie! Have fun! Happy Sinterklaas! :-))

 

Expat life: Pakjesavond (Presents evening)

Almere Stad

From Almere (III)

On the evening of December, 5, before going to bed, children put their shoes next to the fireplace chimney or the coal-fired stove.
The litte ones will leave a carrot or some hay in the shoe and a bowl of water for Sinterklaas' horse, Amerigo.
During this evening they will sing Sinterklaas songs.
In the next morning, some candy [probably a chocolate with the capital letter of their first name] or a small present will be in their shoes.

Our friends Mihaela, Adrian and their son, Mihai, will be with us this evening. We have already a chocolate "M" letter to give to Mihai. :-)

This evening we will eat erwtensoep or snert [the Dutch version of pea soup], pannenkoeken, poffertjes, speculaas and appeltaart.

First Pakjesavond

Hoje foi a nossa primeira Pakjesavond! :-)
O meu marido quis fazer um guisado que ficou muito saboroso! :-)
Enquanto isso, eu pus a mesa para o serão (esta é uma das palavras que mais gosto:):

From Pakjesavond

uma tarte de ananás do V&D (lekker!!!) ao centro;
bolachinhas pepernoten numa tacinha;
as letrinhas de chocolate e os chocolatinhos de massapão noutra tacinha;
a bolacha speculaas numa travessa;
as iniciais do nossos nomes próprios em chocolate;
um vinho de frutos do bosque comprado em Aachen;
a letra S de São Nicolau (adoro!chocolate branco com caramelo por dentro);
velas brancas da Blokker;
uma vela aromática de frutos vermelhos;

Após o jantar e durante o serão, enquanto saboreávamos o licor comprado no mercado de Natal de Aachen, nos copos comprados numa loja de velharias de Middelburg,

From Pakjesavond

abrimos os presentes que entretanto chegaram:

para mim, três camisolas interiores térmicas da Dona Erago, marca Princesa (as minhas favoritas);
para o meu marido, seis pares de meias em algodão do Egipto;

A minha prima Fernanda enviou-me um colar e brincos verdes e como complemento, uma écharpe a condizer, assim como, um conjunto de colar e anel em roxo.

Adorámos ter recebido já estas prendinhas porque assim pudemos festejar a Noite de Presentes tradicional neerlandesa.

O meu amor deliciou-se a fazer o stoomboot (o barco do Sinterklaas) cuja maquete foi oferecida ontem na Blokker, quando lá fui às compras.
Assim que me deram a maquete para as mãos, vi logo quem ia gostar muito.
;-)
Aqui está o resultado final :-)

From Pakjesavond