Go Green!

Sinterklaas arrived in Amsterdam today. He came by boat from Spain and then rode his horse through the City Centre where his helpers handed out candy and entertained hundreds of thousands of excited children and parents that lined the streets on his route. (The celebration is not without controversy, and from an outsider’s perspective, I can appreciate the reason.) This year, since we couldn't see Santa in Burlington, we wanted to see Sinterklaas in Amsterdam and see for ourselves what it is all about.

The tradition for us in Burlington is quite a bit different. In early December, a Santa Clause parade takes place. It is usually about two hours long with impressive floats and marching bands. We love to clap along with the music and wave to people on the floats who sing Christmas carols and spread season’s greetings to spectators. The best part for us is the second last act, the internationally renowned Burlington Teen Tour Band. The best part for the children is the last float in the parade. Santa Clause!

Today, we saw the highlight of our day on our walk through the Museumplein on the way to the parade. A group of about 7 or 8 young men were busking in front of the Iamsterdam sign. They were freestyle breakdancing and quite a crowd had gathered. In between dances they kept their audience entertained with well-timed jokes.

It must be a good omen that these agile, crowd pleasing guys were all wearing GREEN, as the Riders have their playoff game today. Go Riders!