Santa Claus vs. Sinterklaas

Instead of Santa Claus, Belgians have Sinterklaas. Said out loud the two sound very similar but from what I have learned from others here in Belgium they are actually quite different. From what I can put together Sinterklaas drinks a lot more, is a bit more fit and maybe a little racist:

Santa Claus: Comes on Christmas Eve
Sinterklaas: Comes on December 5th

Santa Claus: Is a fat jolly man in a red suit
Sinterklaas: Looks like a holy man (a bishop I believe) and doesn't look too fat. He wears a robe

Santa Claus:Comes on a sleigh with eight little reindeer
Sinterklaas: Comes on a white horse with two black servants* (You can't make this stuff up)

*Now I must say that they are now trying to change the story a little. Instead of black servants, they are becoming helpers, and they aren't really black, they are just dirty from going down the chimney to open the front door for Santa.

Santa Claus: Delivers presents into your stocking
Sinterklaas: Puts presents in your shoes

Santa Claus: Children leave Santa Cookies and milk (hence the fat part)
Sinterklaas: Children leave Sinterklaas something to drink. From the Belgians that I've talked to parents encourage their kids to leave him beer (so he's not fat from cookies, but is drunk from all the beer the kids leave him). Kids also leave carrots for the horse, the servants apparently don't get anything.

This is the best one.

Santa Claus: If you are bad, you don't get presents
Sinterklaas: If you are bad, the servants kidnap you by putting you in a bag and taking you to Spain

I think this is hilarious, I'm not sure what kids would be more afraid of, not getting presents or being taken to Spain.  I'm not sure where Spain came from, I wonder if its like how my parents told me they would send me to China if I didn't eat all my food at dinner. Merry Christmas everybody, we'll be in Austria this year instead of Minnesota, missing all our family and friends.