St Nicholas brings presents on 5 December in the Netherlands (Sinterklaas evening) and on the 6th in Belgium, Germany and parts of France. Once the presents are open, the cards come out. These ten are the family games of those countries, from Dutch Pesten and Kwartet to German Mau Mau and Belgian Manille.
The Dutch national family game: a Crazy Eights cousin where 2s make the next player draw, 8s skip a turn and the jokers hit hard. Every Dutch child knows it.
Ask a named player for a specific card and complete sets of four. Themed Kwartet decks are a classic Sinterklaas present, so a new one often gets played the same evening.
The Netherlands' great partnership game: 32 cards, the trump Jack on top and bonus 'roem' for runs and four of a kind. Grandparents tend to play it very seriously.
A Ravensburger classic from 1925: build four coloured rows outwards from the 11s and be first to empty your hand. It needs its own 80-card deck, which makes it a good present.
Dutch rummy with two decks and four jokers: meld all 13 cards into sets and runs, and reclaim a joker by laying the card it stands for. A long, sociable evening game.
Bid exactly how many tricks you will take, then try to hit it as the hand size climbs and falls each round. Three to seven players, endless banter, and a favourite at Dutch family parties.
Popular in Belgium and France: a 32-card partnership game where the 10, the 'manille', beats even the Ace. Teams race to 101 points, which makes for a perfect after-dinner match.
Pesten and Kwartet suit the youngest players, Toepen is best played for pepernoten instead of money, and Klaverjas or Boerenbridge keep the grown-ups busy long after the last present is unwrapped.
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The Netherlands celebrates Sinterklaas evening on 5 December. Belgium, Germany and parts of France and Italy celebrate St Nicholas Day on 6 December.
What card games do Dutch families play on Sinterklaas evening?
Pesten and Kwartet are the classic family choices, Toepen and Boerenbridge are favourites with older children and adults, and Klaverjassen is the traditional partnership game.
Which of these games make good St Nicholas presents?
A themed Kwartet deck and the Elfer Raus deck are classic presents, because both need their own cards. The other games use a standard or 32-card deck.
Which games are best for young children?
Pesten, Kwartet and Mau Mau are easy to learn and suit children from about six years old.
