Kids & Gift
It's December, a month full of presents with Sinterklaas & Santa Claus are coming to town. I've noticed that kids these days get much more expensive presents than before. Maybe Colson can tell us more the difference through out the decades.
Growing up I only got present on my birthdays, later on in NL sometimes on Christmas too.
In retrospect, what make a present means so much to me is not the price of it, but the fact that I got what was connected to me. Like the time I got a bunch of Stargazer Lily from my pal on my birthday ages ago, it meant more than the present I got from my bf at the time eventho his was more expensive. The same goes for this year's present, the best surprise. Ever.
When my friends had a baby, I always made a point of also giving the older kids a present so they dont feel left out because of the new arrival. But I dont think it is wise to do it all the time like what my cousin do to her kids. I heard about this yesterday when I reminded my mom about a niece's upcoming birthday. Mom said that it means we need to get two presents for the birthday kid and her sister because that's my cousin's habit. Bad habit, I say. We never have to do that to other nieces or nephews, why do we have to indulge her kids? Well, to be fair, if the parents wants to spoil their kids it's their business. Just dont tell me to do that, too, cause it's not my thing.
Mom said my cousin doesnt want her kids to be jealous. Well dear, the kids have to learn that there's time that someone has their moment and you just have to step back and let them enjoy the attention and be happy for them. Simple as that.
4 comments:
Sorry, I initially missed the invitation.
Well, as far as I know it started out as Sint Nicolaas in Flanders and The Netherlands about 400 years ago. It was typically a family affair: though the children are at the center of Sint Nicolaas, adults also give each other (small) presents, accompanied by the even more important rhymes which ought to be funny and mildly critical of him/her or pull the person's leg.
It was in the beginning of the seventeenth century exported to Nieuw Amsterdam ( now New York). Which when it became a British colony gradually integrated Sint Nicolaas. In the process loosing "Zwarte Piet", and making it part of the main traditional event in the last monthe of the year for all Christians: Chrismas.
Especially after World War II Santa Claus has been exported to Europe in its turn- I mean to the low lands. It came together with the liberating allied forces in '45 and the Americanization of Europe.
Sinterklaas and Santa Claus have been competing since. I guess the bisshop is still winning here. But in general the children benefit from the fight between both bearded men; they usually get presents on December the 5th as well as on December 25th.
Dear Opa Colson,
thank you for the explanation about sinterklaas v. Santa claus.
I was wondering about the different between the presents for kids through out the decades. How different was it for kids in the 1930s and in anno 2009?
Actually I don't remember about the 1930s.. (I was only 2 in '40).
Well the difference is wealth.
For most children the number of presents was limited ( one, maybe two) and they generallty were cheap.
Going by my own memory nowadays the presents are often mre expensive by far. In those days at Sinterklaas most of them were mere sweets. Well spmcifically chocolate letters ( like there are still today) and "borstplaat'( I can't translate it. It was a homemade kind of product of sugar with some other ingredients in the shape of a heart).
And, to distinguish Sinterklaas from Xmas, the little rhymes that went with it, were even more important than they are now.
I dont think I'd ever seen or tried borstplaat. It looks a bit like gula jawa (palmsuiker) the one we use for dawet or cooking.
Then again, I dont really eat candy, as I prefer chocolate. God forbid if I have to eat drop. My Dutchy friends said I am not ingeburgerd enough because I still dont eat drop :D
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