In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
- Luke 2:1-5
My wife was born in Indonesia, but as a result of the revolution, the family claimed Dutch allegiance, and they went to the Netherlands. But after a year of testing, physicals, and immunizations, they came to the USA. She loved the Dutch traditions and tried to celebrate Sinterklaas on 5 December.
My wife came to the USA when she was young for a better life. For better or worse, she found me, and we have made our life together with the help of God.
Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem to be counted in the census.
St. Nicholas, or Sinterklaas, travels by steamboat from Spain to arrive in Amsterdam each year, so that he can ride his white horse and greet all the children. And of course, the children are all wondering what Sinterklaas has in his sack and what Sinterklaas will put in their wooden shoes.
A lot of travelling. Two thousand years ago, a little over 60 years ago, and every year. And regardless of where we travel, God is there, and He watches over us.
My wife also loved to sing the traditional Dutch songs. Her sister was going to sing with the children at a Texas school, where there was a special grandson of her sister’s, and as my wife sang along over the phone, she started to forget a few words. Maybe she has gotten rusty without small children running around.
I thought I would put this post together, just for her, for her to sing along. A song about the sack of Sinterklaas, and then Sinterklaas Kapoentje, what seemed to be her favorite, about how Sinterklaas throws a treat into the shoes or boots of the children.
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
I love the sharing of how each nation and culture celebrates Christmas….I use to love it in elementary school when we’d study other cultures and even when our Jewish students shared Hanukkah with the class–we would have a tree in our classroom as well as a menorah—now that takes us back to quite the time…since schools no longer allow either
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For a while in PA, trees were forbidden but a menorah was “cultural” and thus accepted. I do not know if it is still that way.
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Doubt it— but a prayer rug pointed toward Mecca— perfect 😖
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Yep, that is also considered cultural in PA.
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Fascinating tradition! It seems Tri-Cultural (Indo, Dutch, now an American!)
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