Crown Princess Maxima and her daughters welcomed Sinterklaas

Crown Princess Maxima with her daughters Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane welcomes Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Pieten in the harbor of Scheveningen, The Hague ,The Netherlands. Sinterklaas or Sint-Nicolaas is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Other names for the figure include De Sint (The Saint), De Goede Sint (The Good Saint), and De Goedheiligman (The Good Holy Man) in Dutch; Saint Nicolas in French; Sinteklaas in West Frisian; Sinterklaos in Limburgs; Saint-Nikloi in West Flemish; and Kleeschen and Zinniklos in Luxembourgish.

The feast of Sinterklaas celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas on 6 December. The feast is celebrated annually with the giving of gifts on St. Nicholas' Eve (5 December) in the Netherlands and on the morning of 6 December, Saint Nicholas Day, in Belgium, Luxembourg and northern France (French Flanders, Lorraine and Artois). The tradition is also celebrated in territories of the former Dutch Empire, including Curaçao and Suriname. Sinterklaas is the primary source of the popular Christmas icon of Santa Claus.