In Dutch Sinterklaas tradition, Saint Nicholas is said to arrive from Spain by steamboat.
The arrival is celebrated during an annual event called the intocht van Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas traditionally enters a town or city by boat, then continues through the streets on horseback while children and families welcome him. The national arrival is often staged in a different Dutch municipality each year and broadcast widely.
The steamboat detail comes from the 19th-century children’s book “Sint Nikolaas en zijn knecht,” published by Jan Schenkman in 1850. That influential book helped standardize important elements of the modern Dutch celebration, including the journey from Spain and the arrival by steamboat.
Sinterklaas festivities center on 5 December, called Pakjesavond or Saint Nicholas Eve. Although the character influenced the development of Santa Claus, Dutch Sinterklaas customs remain a distinct tradition with their own calendar and ceremonies.