Sinterklaas Surprise 2014

hey all, long time since i posted something i made, and this is something unusual for me. :-D
the statue you see has a hidden compartment in the base. i hid the gift i bought for sinterklaas in there. 
of course considering the recent media around this holiday i wasn't sure to post this, but then i thought that perhaps i should, so people all over the world can see beyond the media. see 1 of the ways this holiday is celebrated - by my family (adults - for children its pretty much just like santa, with a pile of gifts (but not under a tree ))

weeks/months in advance we pull a name out of a hat, then you have think of a topic/ a game/ a poem/ a search, something original, anything that describes something about the person you got. you have to strategically hide your gift around the house without anyone noticing, trying to figure out who got who, simply because it's fun! it takes half a day to get through 5 surprises with poems that make u laugh and the agony of trying not to destroy your gift... or instead hammering away at a block of concrete to get to it! its so versatile... no year is the same ever.

the gift inside is only a few euro's worth, but i spend 2 weeks making this, together with this was a poem with instruction/quest around the house.
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so maybe we don't celebrate the way you celebrate - and yes, not everybody celebrates like my family, with this much effort - but the whole atmosphere of anxious children, sweets given outside by dressed up people, the music, the laughter, happy faces... i am sure you must be able to relate to that feeling no matter where you are from, the colour of your skin, or your religious background.... 

the sad thing is; everyone is allowed to celebrate their feasts here, no matter their religion or culture.... except the dutch, who are not allowed to celebrate their own traditions in their own country unspoiled and unchallenged... isn't that discrimination then?

when did it happen that the UN thinks discussing the sinterklaas feast is more important than saving people from starvation? or war? or children abuse? etc etc etc..i can think of plenty things wrong with this world, but sinterklaas isn't one of them. lets get our priorities straight...and start by accepting each other, no matter who we are. but that's just my 2 cents. 
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now some details, i made this out of a cardboard and wire base, then build up the sculpey clay around. i know the sculpting as well as the painting could have been done better, but not bad for being a first-timer right? especially with the limited time i had. i'm pretty pleased with myself

i hope you like it and that it may give you the tiniest insight on how important this holiday is to me, to my family, to many dutch people. spread the love!