December 18, 2009

A Christmas story: The spirit of Sinter Klaas

The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a jolly monk named St. Nicholas. It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping poor creatives. By the Renaissance, St. Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe, especially in Holland. The name Santa Claus evolved from Nick’s Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas (Dutch for Saint Nicholas). Sinter Klaas was described as everything from a fashionista with a blue three-cornered hat, red waistcoat, and yellow stockings to a clown wearing a broad-brimmed hat and a “huge pair of Flemish trunk hose.” Either way, he made an impression on people and quickly became a celebrated style icon.

Sinter has always been a great source of inspiration for Elvine, not only for his fashion sense, but also for his work helping out poor creatives. In his spirit we started Creators Inn by Elvine – a project offering traveling creators a place to stay for free. We think that’s what the holidays are all about. And now we challenge you to continue in Sinter’s foot steps. Why not invite a poor creative to sleep at your place?

Happy holidays!