In the past, the shoe of arms was put in the church. That was the beginning of the shoes that we know today. That shoeing in the church was already in 1427, in Utrecht. That's where the rich people secretly did something in their shoes. Why did they do that? That was, of course, for charity. You could do something good without actually getting in touch with the poor. The next day, on December 6, the proceeds were distributed by the church among the poor.

A little later, in the 16th century, the shoe was put by children, but now in the living rooms. The Sinterklaas festival was already celebrated, in domestic circles, with the whole family. In the 17th century, the painter Jan Steen recorded the morning of Saint Nicholas on two paintings. If you take a good look at that, you'll see a lot of things. You see what the kids got in their shoes. The crying boy on the left has got a roe in his shoe. The girl next door holds his shoe smiling.

At the front is a basket of goodies, you see chewing, apples and waffles. The girl in front holds a speculaas doll in the shape of a Santa Claus. She also has a bucket of presents in her hands. The boy with the baby on the arm, points to the chimney. And so there are more things to see, if you look at the painting longer. Jan Steen's message was: Who is sweet gets goodies, who is naughty is the roe..

Loading full article...