2016 Daily December 9--Sinterklass Day

So I should have posted this earlier, but I was not that organized.  Sinterklass Eve is a tradition we have been celebrating for about 12 years.  Sinterklass Day is a Dutch tradition and celebrated on December 6.  On December 5th---Sinterklass Eve--it is tradition to give a bag of chocolates anonymously to your friends.  We love that part--doorbell ditching!!! :) 

These were our chocolates this year.  We always do different kinds of Hershey's kisses.  Love all the holiday flavors.  

My kids are really good at doorbell ditching these.  Ben and I hang out in the van with all the lights out and out of sight of the house.  The kids put the treat by the front door, ring the doorbell and sprint away.  Very rarely if ever have they been caught.  Then when the coast is clear they run back to the van, and we do it again.  One of our favorite Christmas traditions!!

2013 Daily December 5--Christmas countdown chain/Sinterklass Eve

One of our most favorite and longest running Christmas traditions is our Christmas countdown chain.  Each day the kids take off a link of the chain from Dec 1st to the 24 and there is an activity listed on the chain for us to do that day.  We do all sorts of things, and they change every year, but the one that does not change is December 5th.  December 5th is always the same.

December 5th is Sinterklass Eve.  Sinterklass Day is a Dutch tradition and is celebrated December 6th.  On Sinterklass Eve it is tradition to give a bag of chocolates anonymously to your friends--in other words door bell ditching which my kids love!  This is the kind of chocolate we give out--yum!  Of course we have to sample a few to make sure we aren't giving away bad chocolate :)

 We celebrate this every year, and I think it is one of my kids' favorite parts of Christmas.  Each of them get a bag of chocolates to deliver to whomever they wish.  We plan out how we will approach the house, turn the lights off in the car, park a block away, ring the door bell, drop the bag and then run.  Great fun!

Happy Sinterklass Eve!

Daily December 5: Sinterklass Eve

I am a huge Family Fun magazine fan.  I have been a subscriber almost since the first issue, and about 8 years ago (I think?) I saw this idea for The Christmas Chain in their "Idea of the Month" article.  It is a Christmas countdown chain, but on each link is a different activity that you do that day.  For example:  go look at Christmas lights, sing carols, make a Christmas card for a friend, visit and sing at a nursing home, make gingerbread cookies, etc.  I try to do a mix of fun, service, and ideas that remind us of the real meaning of Christmas.  Today's link says "Sinterklass Eve," and my kids jump for joy because they love this one.  We do it every year.  Sinterklass Day is a Dutch Christmas tradition, and it is celebrated on December 6th.  On the eve before under a winter star lite sky, it is tradition to deliver chocolates anonymously to your friends.  Ring the doorbell and run or "door bell ditching" fun here that my kids love.  We make up about 6 bags of chocolate, and then each family member gets to decide who to take their bag too.  I just usually buy a few bags of Hershey's kisses, and we put them in cellophane bags with a ribbon and tag that says "Happy Sinterklass Eve!  Sinterklass Day is a Dutch tradition celebrated on Dec 6th.  On the eve before it is tradition to deliver chocolates to your friends anonymously.  Enjoy!"  The kids love delivering their bags, ringing the door bell, and then sprinting back to the car and speeding off (hopefully) before the door is answered.  A fun, very well-loved tradition at our house.  Try it at yours this year.