Written : Happy Saint-Nicolas ( Sinterklaas ) celebration
I know he looks like Santa Claus who's gone for a diet, or Gandalf doing a poor cosplay, but no. It is Saint-Nicolas/Sinterklaas ( without the sparkles, it would be really him )
He's got a story, of course, as a real guy and as a legend. But since I'm afraid I might tell you wrong things, I'll pass
( If you're really interested, though, I could give you some links )Anyway ! Saint-Nicolas/Sinterklaas is celebrated in the Netherlands and in Belgium ( it might be celebrated in other countries, but I only know of these two ! )
In Belgium, St-Nicolas/Sinterklaas usually comes into classrooms to give candies, but depending on the school ( at least in my town ), he doesn't. For example, we can't make St-Nicolas pass into our school because it's part of a program called 'Eat, move', basically it's to be healthy and all. So he can't throw candies, thus, he can't pass in our classes.
( Our chemistery teacher said, laughing, that he could pass but would have to throw fruits or vegetables. We all joked about St-Nicolas/Sinterklaas throwing pumpkins in the classrooms afterwards )In Art-schools, still in Belgium, but in an after-school activity, Saint-Nicolas made us yell 'Famine' for us to get candies, since we could tell 'La Fourmi et la Cigale' ( The Ant and the Cicada ), written by Jean de la Fontaine. ( Since we were in the building for theater class, we had to make a little improvisation play, too. I once had to play a piece of piano since nobody else wanted to play their instruments. )
You guessed, St-Nicolas/Sinterklaas asks us to do somethings related to what the class is about in art schools !
Celebrating Sinterklaas at home consist in putting your shoes next to the fireplace for him to pass and leave candies in it
But in Belgium, we also got a Student tradition ! Especially in Liège, Mons, Bruxelles and Namur. When you're in your last year, you dress up in your normal clothes, but with a white work coat with writings all over it ! ( And then, you do the hobo and ask people money with a beer's mug. )
Some schools' last year students are allowed to make a performance on the scene. And that's the case of ours ! If the direction allows us to put the video on youtube, I'll give you the link.
How does a Last Year Student's St-Nicolas/Sinterklaas looks like ?
5.00 A.M. : First, you kill the snooze button of your alarm clock, and wake up. Then, go down your house in a zombie-mode, and dress up. Next step is, be happy ! I mean you passed two month over the work coat, and you'll finally put it on your shoulders for this one day !
6.00 A.M. : Be in town, with your friends or without. Laugh on the looks of the other students, and check your weapons ! ( Weapons being : lipstick, shaving foam, hair-dye which goes out if you put water on it, etc. ) Do not trust ANYONE, except your friends, if they're not the kind to trick you. ( If they are, run. )
6.30 A.M. : People are finally coming into town. Since you put some money in your mug before hand, approach them and make your mug tinkle. And ask "Hello ! Would you give me some money for Student's St-Nicolas/Sinterklaas ?" to the adults, and "You choose : either you give me money, either I draw on you with my lipstick/put shaving foam in your hair/dye your hair green/blue/orange/red" And run after them if they try to run away. ( I didn't do that, I let them choose, if they wanted a drawing or not. )
6.45 A.M. : Be wary of angry people, and don't approach them. If you do, you'll be greeted like this : "Hello, would y-
- Shut up, brat, I already gave much." After all, all of the students aren't kind. They usually put their mug in the face of people and ask money without saying hello or anything.
7.00 A.M. : Continue wandering in the streets
7.30 A.M. : Finally ! Your schools' doors open ! Go in school to put your school bag into your locker.
7.35 A.M. : Get out of school to continue asking money.
7.40 A.M. : Locate your classmates and be wary of them, they can be armed too. * I got sparkles in my hair because I wasn't wary enough. At least, I managed to avoid shaving foam *
7.45 A.M. : Be wary of GIRL students. They put extra-lipstick on their lips and kiss your cheek to leave their mark. ( Someone I didn't really like did that to me, bleh. )
7.50 A.M. : Attack your teachers, not letting them go if they don't give anything ! Threaten them to draw a mono eyebrows with lipstick :3 Run if they threaten your marks back.
8.00 A.M. : Keep your mug close, thieves aren't rare in this town. Attack students each time you see one.
8.15 A.M. : Go to school.
10.50 A.M. : Draw on your younger friends cheeks after they ask for you to do.
12.05 P.M. : Stress your life out 'cause you'll soon be on the stage playing with your band.
2.25 P.M. : Dance Macarena because Last Years are Awesome like that.
3.10 P.M. : Need to pee. But can't. Ah ! The bass's got a problem and it's soon our turn ! Thankfully St-Nicolas ( made by a student ) distract the audience from our panicked whispers behind the curtain. Finally ! The bass works again - but who the hell detuned one of the guitar ? Argh ! We haven't got time anymore ! Curtains are opening. Play Seven Nation Army from the White Stripes and Smells like teen spirit from Nirvana with a normal band plus a piano that got nothing to do here ( read : me )
3.25 P.M. : Hug all of your band, still needing to pee, because everyone yelled for more !
3.40 P.M. : Get some dirty rags and do the rag dance as a closing dance.
4.00 P.M. : Curse the other classes for having thrown vegetables in the room because we couldn't throw candies, and curse the youngsters because they eat like pigs. ( My class being the 'art-class', we're considered like no-goods, so we were the ones in charge of cleaning afterwards )
4.30 P.M. : Go back in town to ask money.
5.30 P.M. : Go home.
That was my day.
But long story short, technically, the 'real' day is :
- Wake up, ask money
- Go to school
- Make the show
- Ask money
- Go to a party
- Get your ass drunk
- Go home and sleep.
I'll post photos of my work coat, and some photos of the party later
( I didn't go to the party, but friends did. )