On Sunday December 6th Saint Nicholas made his entrance at the Van Wickle House in Somerset, New Jersey. The historic house is maintained by the Meadows Foundations which has organized a Sinterklaas event at the house for decades.

Inside the Van Wickle House Dutch provincial flags and Dutch artwork were on display and traditional food including almond pastry and speculaas from the Holland-America Bakery was on sale. Outside, a beautiful Dutch street organ, the Violanta, played Sinterklaas songs. Johanna Vander Heyden is the driving force behind the Violanta street organ and created the Zwarte Piet costumes.

Before Sinterklaas arrived there was Dutch dancing, klompen dansen, with dancers in beautiful traditional Dutch costumes.

Sinterklaas arrived on a white horse and was accompanied by his helpers, Zwarte Pieten. Dr. Bruce Hamilton, the Chair of the Van Wickle House, welcomed Sinterklaas who sat down outside the House. Children offered drawings to Saint Nick and received sweets in return.

We wrote about the Van Wickle house a few months ago.

Dutch dancing.

Dutch dancing.

Zwarte Piet in front of the Violanta street organ.

Dutch food for sale.

Making speculaas

Staphorster Stipwerk.

Waiting for Sinterklaas.

Sinterklaas on his horse.

Arriving!

Sinterklaas and the crowd.

Sinterklaas and Zwarte Pieten in Somerset, New Jersey.