Memorial Day Pictures by Nadine Robbins

What a beautiful day it was. Hope you got your beach ball! If you have your own photos or video email it to us.

Look for us at the Memorial Day Parade. Monday 5/23/09. FREE BEACH BALLS!

Dear Friends!

Sinterklaas is coming! Yes, I know, it’s still more than 6 months away, but we’re kicking off the season on Memorial Day here in Rhinebeck. Look for our float in the parade and get your free beachball!

The parade starts:

Monday, May 26, 2008, 10:30am
Parade from Mulberry St, E. Market St, & Route 9 to Rhinebeck Cemetery
Ceremony to follow at Rhinebeck Cemetery
Hosted by American Legion Post 429
For more info email us!


Photo by Doug Baz

Awards and Accolaides

The 2008 Sinterklaas Festival won "The Spirit of Dutchess County Award! and the Gazette Advertiser hailed "the triumphant return of Sinterklaas" as one of the important moments that impacted folk's lives in 2009.

The Huffington Post Article: Sinterklaas Is Comin' To Town

On December 6th, Rhinebeck, New York, concluded a weeklong festival called "Sinterklaas" that reenacted a Dutch tradition celebrating the arrival of good ol' St. Nicholas who-- accompanied by his faithful half-man/half-beast sidekick called the "Grumpus"--rewarded good people with gifts of charity and candy. The festivities began on Saturday, November 29th, with the faux St. Nick's Hudson River arrival by boat to the Rhinecliff dock followed by a march to the Rhinecliff Hotel, and a spirited performance of the classic St. George and the Dragon drama at the establishment. From December 1st through the 3rd, the town began accenting its streets with original paintings, the artwork mostly supplied by local school students and teachers.

For the rest of the article, click here.

The Parade: Making the Celebration Our Own

Today in Rhinebeck we celebrate in both traditional and new ways.

Good children, bad children. This idea always comes up in celebrations around this time of year. Naughty or nice. Coal or presents. Judgment. Right along side of the Sinterklaas legend there is the even more ancient story of the Bel Snickle, the Grumpus, the Rupelz, Shab, the Krampucz. A sort of scary character who comes out of the wood and who is in marked contrast with the kindly Sinterklaas, the Good King. A leftover from a harsher time. And even though he is played by someone from the neighborhood, and even though he does not REALLY cart children away in his black bag or punish them with his birch rod that he carries, he is still there— a reminder that if you are not good, well…punishment will follow.

In Rhinebeck, we are going to turn that tradition upside down by turning a negative symbol into an empowering one.

What is the meaning of the crowns and branches that are made by and carried by the Children in the Parade?

Since St. Nicholas loved children so much, it makes sense on his name day, that children—who at all other times of the year the least powerful people in the society—are turned into the most powerful for just one day. Children are crowned kings and queens!

The birch rod—the indispensable instrument of medieval education—in Rhinebeck is transformed by the power imagination and art into a symbol of empowerment and love. The birch rod becomes the Branch—the Royal Scepter—a symbol of creative power in the hands of today’s children. And so, on this day in Rhinebeck children are raised up from being those least powerful to the most powerful for one glorious day !

The rods are turned to Royal Scepters and the Children are crowned royalty for the day!

On December 5th there will be a bustling and beautiful workshop from 12 –4 pm for children to create their Crowns and Branches (Watch for details). Hundreds of beautiful branches will be laid out alongside lots of beautiful glittery and fanciful materials—jewels, ribbons, glitter, lace, streamers, wonderfilm—with which the children can create their Royal Garb! At the end of the day each child has something to carry in the Parade and to take home with them. Each child will be asked to tie 3 WISHES in their branch—one for their family, for their community and for the World. Be sure to see the Wish Lady!

What are The STARS that Every Family Will Carry in the Parade? What is their purpose?

The STARS are what make Rhinebeck’s celebration unique from all other Sinterklaas celebrations, These STARS make families, friends and relations the active mythmakers of our community and its future, for these are no ordinary stars !

From the moment you take possession of your star, you assume a key role in a community ritual. On December 5, 2009 hundreds of your neighbors, friends, and family will join in an illuminated pageant through the very heart of Rhinebeck.

You will carry your STAR in your own way—perhaps close to your chest and cradled with care, or held aloft dangling freely in the winter breeze. A gathering constellation will light the path for the many children who, bedecked with their crowns and branches of their own creation are the honored Kings and Queens of the Day.

At the end of the procession, everyone will gather for the final ritual of the pageant, the moment you and your STAR have been waiting for. The Master of Ceremonies will call upon all those present to honor our children, our hope for the future, our joy of today.

He will ask you bow down on one knee to the children. At that you will bow downand hold you STAR at the children’s waist level elevating them for a brief moment, on a sea of stars above everyone in the community. Then you will be asked to stand again and raise your star above your heads – thus placing you, the children and the entire community in its proper place in the firmament – all of us as one and at peace under the stars.After the evening’s festivities are over, you take your star home with you to grace your hearth throughout the dark winter with the vivid memory – like a burning ember – of when we all came together to celebrate our children, our community, our lives and each other.

And then, as custodian of your communal star, you can bring it back next year, adding to an ever-expanding universe of stars, helping to nurture a Rhinebeck tradition.

Email us to join our Sinterklaas Newsletter to learn where stars will be sold this year!

The Havdalah

Last year, right before the Parade begins a special ceremony takes place at the foot of the hill on West Market Street. Led by Rhinebeck resident Rabbi Yael Romer’s daughter, Shai a lovely 16 year old, this beautiful Jewish Ceremony marks the end of the Jewish Sabbath and opens up the secular time of The Sinterklaas Parade. Accompanied by Priscilla and David Gideon of the Temple Emmanuel in Kingston and Leo Cohen on guitar, the Havdalah Ceremony is a weaving together of all those in the community in a web of interdependence,
symbolized by intertwined candles. We hope to do this again in 2009.

After the Parade the beginning of the Christian Sabbath starts with the Living Nativity at the Reformed Church.

Video: Sinterklaas 2008

The Cookie Tree

Dutch Treats!!
Did you know that “cookie” is a Dutch word? And that the first chocolate in America came from Holland?

Not only did the children in New Amsterdam (the original New York City) love the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas, they also quickly came to love another tradition that the Dutch brought to the New World: cookies!! The Dutch word was “koekje,” and meant “little cake.” The Dutch brought the “koekjes” to America in the 17th century and the word became 'cookie.' Much like Sinterklaas became Santa Claus.

The first cookies were created by accident. Cooks used a small amount of cake batter to test their oven temperature before baking a large cake. Almost immediately the Dutch knew they had discovered something very, very good. With a little bit of sugar added, crackers became cookies! Before long, special cookies were being made for the Dutch’s favorite holiday—Sinterklass. These cookies are called speculaas.

The Cookie Tree: For the delight of all the children and in honor of this great cultural and culinary contribution of the Dutch, Jessica Bard, well-known local chef and the Creative Director of Culinary Affairs for Sinterklaas in Rhinebeck, made a wonderful (and delicious!) Giant Cookie Tree that was on display in the Beekman Arms all throughout the holiday season.

What is Sinterklaas: By Jeanne Fleming

THIS STORY WAS PICKED UP FROM 2008.

Many people have asked me what it is that the Town of Rhinebeck is doing on December 6th. Why have a special interest and pride in this time of year?

The answer is that we are looking into Rhinebeck's rich heritage to Old Dutch customs that were the essence of life in Rhinebeck at its earliest beginnings. The Dutch people who came to Rhinebeck over 300 years ago brought a celebration with them which was already an ancient one.

The ritual was simple enough. On the day of December 6th, a town resident dressed up as St. Nicholas (that is, garbed elegantly in a bishop's hat, red cape, bishop's ring and jeweled staff). He was accompanied by St. Nick's long-time sidekick, the Grumpus (also known as Black Peter), who was a wild looking character, half man, half beast, who walked through the town rattling chains, carrying a big black bag to take away the naughtiest children and switches to punish those less bad. Late at night, a knock would
be heard at the door. Before anyone knew what happened, the Grumpus and St.Nicholas would throw a bag of goodies into the house and be on their way.

Over the years, as towns developed and houses grew closer together, St. Nicholas' ride turned into a Parade--a Parade that still happens in Holland to this day, and is the most popular Dutch holiday of all.

Who was this St. Nicholas?
At the start, St. Nicholas was a real person. He was born in the 4th century in Myra, Asia Minor, where he became a bishop as a grown man. Little else is known about him—except that he loved children. A story is told about St. Nicholas to illustrate this point. It is said that three little boys dined at a restaurant and, after eating their fill, informed the innkeeper that they could not pay their bill. To exact payment, the innkeeper chopped them up into little bits and cooked them in a stew.

Nicholas heard about the awful deed and came to the inn to find the boys boiling away in the pot. He told the innkeeper that if he, St. Nicholas, could find one little piece of each boy that was good, he would perform a miracle and bring them him back to life. Now, what child does not have at least one little piece of good in him? And, so St. Nicholas returned the boys to life and took them into his care.

There is also the story of the three poor sisters. They were the beautiful daughters of a poor peasant. The first was very blond, the second had raven black hair, and the third wore auburn tresses. When they grew up they fell in love with three pleasant young men. But the sisters could not get married because they had no dowry. That made them very sad. One night, as St. Nicholas was out riding, he looked through a window and saw three lovely, but sad sisters. And he heard why they could not marry the young men of their choice. He went back to his palace and gave the Grumpus three little bags. In each were a hundred golden ducats. He asked the Grumpus to drop the little bags into the girls' shoes, and an hour later they were rich. They married the three nice young men and lived happily ever after! To this day children leave a carrot in their shoes hoping to attract St. Nick's attention and reward. Since then St. Nicholas has become known as the patron saint of unwed maidens.

How this kindly 4th century bishop made his way from Asia Minor through Italy, Spain and all of Northern Europe by the 11th century where he is still honored today is hard to say, but by that time he become the patron saint not only of children and unwed maidens, but of sailors and the City of Amsterdam as well.

Association with Amsterdam goes back to the time of the Inquisition, which had spread to Holland in the Middle Ages. Rumor had it that there was a Nicholas who was Bishop of the Cathedral in Amsterdam. When the swarthy Spaniards came from Spain to trade with the Dutch, they gave passage toadults and children alike whose lives were threatened by the Inquisition against the Jews in Spain.

The good Bishop, Nicolas, was known to rescue children of every religion and hide them in his church so that they would not be taken away to be persecuted. So, today, in the St. Nicholas story, the good bishop is seen with a more modern version of the Grumpus--the Black Peters, namely, the Moors who threaten to take children away to Spain in their black bags.

Such is the power of a love for children, that St. Nicholas' reputation became so great that, even as Holland became a stronghold of Calvinism and eventually in the late 1500's became known as a country famous for its religious tolerance and variety, St. Nicholas remained the focal point of celebration for all people--Christians, Jews and Moslems and others alike.

No less than 21 miracles have been attributed to him. And for more than 1,700 years, people's faith in the truth of those miracles has been reinforced by tellings and retellings.

But, if truth be known, St. Nicholas is even OLDER than that! While we may trace the origin of "Nicholas" to Asia Minor, or Europe, or Amsterdam, the St. Nick that we so regard today is much more than one individual. He is a symbol of a spirit and way of being that has been around since the beginning of time. For before he came to us as St. Nick, in pagan and ancient European times he was known as Odin, a mythic figure who flew through the sky, then landed in a Town and rode through the village giving candy to the good children and coal to the bad. Over the ages, as Odin's influence was less felt, he became Good King Wenceslas, and so on.
St. Nicholas Today in Holland There is not a single family in Holland that does not in some way or another honor the old "Bishop" and his servant the Grumpus with a party, a small get-together or by going to somebody's else's house to celebrate. There may be many presents, or just a few—tables laden with traditional candles and cookies—or just a pot of hot chocolate. The house may be teeming with children, or with perhaps just a few grown-ups around the dining room table--but the Sinterklaas spirit is everywhere—one simply can't miss it. It is far and away the nicest. most wonderful and exciting festivity in the land!

In Amsterdam, on December 6th a ship carrying Sinterklaas arrives by boat from Spain where he spends the rest of the year. he is greeted by a whole group of Grumpuses. A million people come out to see his arrival and watch his triumphant parade through the streets of the city. The whole rest of the country watches on T.V. There are special songs and pastries made for his arrival. In Rhinebeck, this year St. Nick will arrive at the Rhinecliff Dock at 4 pm on November 29th and ride up the hill to the Rhinecliff Hotel where children will be treated to a Dragon Play, music, and the Grumpus Dance. He will ride through Rhinebeck on the evenings of December 1st, 2nd and 3rd. And finally be seen in the Children's Starlight Parade on December 6th.

St. Nicholas, Sinterklaas, and Santa Claus in the Hudson Valley When the early Dutch settlers came to America, they naturally brought with them their venerated old bishop. St. Nicholas and their favorite holiday: Sinterklaas. Indeed, after landing in the New World the Dutch explorers, led by Henry Hudson built their first church on the island of Manhattan in 1642, dedicating it to Sinterklaas. When the British took control of New Amsterdam in 1664, they adopted the Dutch recognition of Sinterklaas and merged it with their own observance of the Winter Solstice, Father Christmas --the merry, roly-poly. Falstaffian figure in high-boots. Eventually, these two old gentlemen commemorated in December, merged into one.

Over the next few generations Saint Nicholas found his way into American literature. In 1809 writer Washington Irving (a man who lived not far from Rhinebeck) created a jolly St. Nicholas for his popular Knickerbocker Tales. Then in 1822, an Episcopal priest named Clement Moore (who also lived near to Rhinebeck) wrote a lighthearted poem called "A Visit from St. Nicholas" which featured a jolly old elf, his descent down a chimney on Christmas Eve, and a sleigh drawn by eight tiny reindeer (Odin's flying horse !) The Father Christmas image stuck, but he acquired a Dutch name--Santa Claus--a direct derivation from Sinterklaas.

America, a country of invention and opportunity, a land where everyone could write their own life's story, added the latest chapter to a tale that had begun in ancient times with Odin, a mythical figure embodying the archetype of The Good King, who rode through the night in the land of the reindeer doing good deeds for children.

So, now, we in Rhinebeck, will write our own version of this myth and enact it in our own way for our own time as we move away from the commercial Santa and back to the underlying beliefs that began the legend-The Good King, the Nobel Soul, the one who brings light out of darkness, befriends the children and creatures, and inspires our souls.

From time immemorial, "Sinterklaas!" has been a touchstone—one by which we can come together in community, putting aside that which divides, and allowing us to focus on what brings us together—our humanity, our love for children, our hopes for the future.

Photo by Doug Baz

Photos from 2008 Sinterklaas Festival by Doug Baz

To see more click here

Last years contributors. Thanks again. How about this year?

We THANK our Generous 2008 Supporters!

The Thomas Thompson Trust
The Town of Rhinebeck
The Village of Rhinebeck
The Dutchess County Arts Council
The Rhinebeck Chamber of Commerce
The Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commission
The Dyson Foundation
The Mid-Hudson Federal Credit Union
Winter Sun/ Summer Moon
Mary Myerson

And we are looking for 2009 supporters! Contact us or donate on the right column at the top!

The Illuminated Manuscript of Sinterklaas!

The Illuminated Manuscript of Sinterklaas !
photo courtesy of ElizabethWatt !

Ronnie Citron-Fink had a brainstorm. We HAD to make a book, a GIANT book. Jeanne Fleming went out in search of the maker of such a Giant Book that would tell the story of Sinterklaas in a very special way for our children, and found Nadine Robbins. She just couldn’t say No! Ideas swirled around in her head until it hit her. What about a pop-up book that is lit from inside?.

Magical and memorable, a cross between Harry Potter and an illuminated Medieval manuscript what was Jeanne wanted. And Nadine was up to the challenge.

With some help from some of Jeanne's friends, James Gurney and Richard Prouse to create illustrations and Grace Gunning to cut out some copper and paper, they came up with a plan. Grace, Molly Ahearn and Nadine tested, cut, hammered, drilled, prototyped this book until they solved all the issues. This was a big BIG task!.

Nadine’s company, Namaro Graphic Designs, and friends, see this book as a gift for our community. And it’s going to be improved for the 2009 Celebration, if you can believe that!

The Illuminated Book will be on display for all to see throughout the Holiday Season. Keep your eyes on the website for further details!

Who's Who in the parade (photo courtesy Doug Baz)

The Children’s Starlight Parade.
Who will be in the spectacular parade?

Sinterklaas on his white horse.

The Grumpuses, who are his wild sidekicks who carry out Sinterklaas’ judgment on the children — either switches for the bad or candies for the good. But, our special Grumpuses are people you know in the community, though cleverly disguised. They are candymen, there for joyous revels and to delight the children. The Grumpus is also the Bel Snickle in German culture.

Grandmother Earth on whom we all live. She's the mother of us all, the Guiding Spirit of the Parade reminding us to take care of her.

The 4 Seasons—the moods of Grandmother Earth. We especially honor Winter this time of year.

The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance The most ancient Dance ever recorded, it is still danced today in the Town of Bromley in England. The deer horns in Bromley date back to the 11th 
century, and are believed to have been brought to England by the Norse. (Since there are no reindeer in England!) Coincidentally enough, the horns are stored in –where else?–St. Nicholas’ Church in Bromley and brought out once a year for a performance.

There are 12 characters. Six carry the horns and are accompanied by musician playing an accordion; Maid Marian (a man in a dress), the Hobby-Horse, the Fool (or Jester), a youngster with a bow and arrow, and another youngster with a triangle. Traditionally, the dancers are all male, although in recent years girls have been seen carrying the triangle and bow and arrow. The pattern of the dance mimics the way in which a deer walks though the woods–in a figure eight pattern—to the accompaniment of a haunting slip jig.

The version you will see performed by the Pokingbrook Morris Dancers is sometimes called the Royal Albert Horn Dance after the haunting tune that was commissioned at the Royal Albert Hall. Anthropologists have argued that this dance, which mimics abowman killing a reindeer, was performed as a ritual to ensure a successful hunt. It is interesting to note that the Bushmen of the Kalahari also have ritual dances which mime a warrior killing its prey, while the cave paintings of Lascaux, France, which date to Paleolithic times 20,000 years ago, depict men wearing antler head-dresses being stalked by bowmen.So the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance may be a lot more ancient than presumed.

The Ballerina and Dog and the Carousel

The Blue Dog—some things have no explanation!

St. George and the Dragon: A Comic play about Good and Evil.

The Seven Sisters: Stars from the cosmos that look down on us from afar and allow us to look up and dream.

Wild Women—If you have Wild Men (The Grumpuses) you have to have Wild Women, and we should have a fantastic gaggle!

Music of all traditions: Klezmer, Bagpipe, Dixieland, Irish.
Didgerido, Balkan, Ukranian.

Creatures of the Forest: They all come out for us on this night.

Creatures from the Farm: The sheep, the cows, the rams, the horse. They join their wild brothers.

The Peace Dove—Our wish for the world. The night ends with a wish for Peace in the world so that we will all live in community with each other, enjoying and celebrating our differences, hoping for Joy for All in this, our precious World.

The Spirit of Sinterklaas

He was Odin.

And Good King Wenceslas.

Pere Noel, Father Frost.

Then he was St. Nicholas.

He became Sinterklaas.

Then Santa Claus.

He’s even been called

“Sandy Claws.”


He is Mother Theresa, Ghandi,
the Dailai Lama & Schindler.

But whatever name
we have
called him,
he has always been the same.

He loves children, is generous,

protects and honors the poor,

brings blessings and gifts,

protection, food and clothing. 


He comes at the darkest time

to remind us of the light. 


He is the good king,
the kind teacher; 

he “flies” to those in need,

the creatures all love him, 

he comes with good intent.

His bag is really full of love

and hope and caring...


He is humanity at its best.