It is the evening of 5th December in the Netherlands. Everybody is celebrating Sinterklaas with family or friends. The streets are empty and quiet, but the houses inside...there is laughter and happiness, yummie treats, smiling and excited children (and adults, no matter what they say, they love it!). The little ones are already on a sugarrush from the speculaaskoek, pepernoten... (I guess you can compare it to Halloween in the U.S.) running around or sitting (as guardians) impatiently next to pile of presents. Big ones, small ones, medium ones...does not matter...WHEN CAN WE FINALLY START??!?!?
Not just yet...you need to know how it works. You pull a name out of an imeginary hat well beforehand (nowdays everything can be done online) and you get one person from the group you need to surprise with a present. (if you are smart: from his/her wishlist called: verlanglijst). After you have your person, you keep it for yourself and look for a present within the set budget.
Or if it is adults among them celebrating Sinterklaas, you can expect a "surprise" which is a funny (or supposed to be funny) hand-made present which represents your interest or, an other option; a present (usually very small or just chocolate) wrapped in a way that it takes forever to open in, or a hidden present you have to dig the whole house through for.
And then the (accordning to me) the most fun part: the poem!!! You must write a FUNNY poem about and for the person you have, and attach it to one of her/his presents. It should be about the last year, what happened to the person, big changes in lives, new job, baby, broken leg..etc...And you are allowed to be a bit naughty and mention annoying personality treats, but please, be gentle. At the and she/he will figure out who was her/his personal Sinterklaas and next year, you will get it back...so don't make enemies on the precious day.