athomeontheprairie Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 chocolate oranges were mentioned in the Christmas post. it gave me the idea of asking here. I've asked in so many places, maybe you all know! my mother's great aunt told the story how and why Dutch children are given a apple on Christmas. this was a huge tradition in my family. right up until about 6 years ago when Terry's put drostes apples out of business. 2 questions: is anyone on here of Dutch heritage, and familiar with this tradition? I would love to have a reference for the story. all my family has is the oral tradition, I can't find the story documented anywhere... and my mom really likes to elaborate on things ( sometimes I question if any of my childhood was real or if it was all fiction? ! but she swears this was true, as far as Legends go that is) Second, if you still give chocolate apples where are you finding them? all we can find here are the oranges... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoshannon Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 I'm Dutch and have never heard of that. I'll have to ask my mom. Although, I'd never heard of oli bolin or other such Dutch treats until after I married my husband. My family concentrated more on the thriftiness side of our Dutchness. I can school you on "Dutch" Tupperware. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomeontheprairie Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 Please do! Really! I love the story and I love sharing it with my kids. BUT, I'd really like to know if the story goes the way it was told to me, or if it was completely made up by a family member. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 I've not heard of this one. I'll check with my mom. I'll also try to get dh to ask on his next trip to Amsterdam. It's coming up pretty soon. All I remember Mom talking about is the olie bollen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom@shiloh Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 I am thoroughly, 100% Dutch and have never heard of this. Olie bollen, pig in the blankets, poffertjes, stroopwaffles, almond patties -- yep. Chocolate apples, no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 I'm Dutch and I have never heard of chocolate apples as presents on Christmas day. Traditionally there are no presents for Christmas, Dutch children get presents from Sinterklaas on December 5th. However, this is changing, now more and more people are celebrating Christmas in a secular way and are giving presents to each other. Oliebollen are eaten on New Years Eve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 Well, I'm half German, and the German side of the family always sent them for St. NIcholas Day, December 6th. I don't remember any story or tradition with that though, although there may have been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnae Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 100% Dutch here, and I've never heard of chocolate apples. We did do Olliebollen, though. And Banket. And though we celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve, my aunt and uncle did the whole Sinterklaas tradition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyto4 Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 The only thing I could think of was leaving an apple in your wooden shoe for Sinterklaas' horse... But I have never heard of chocolate apples given to the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsDarcy Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 My dad's Dutch, and we got chocolate apples on Christmas Eve or in our shoes that we shared as a family. I will ask him the story behind it. We usually got chocolate letters, the first initial of our name like a "J" for "Jan", but when they weren't available we got chocolate apples. Oliebollen as mentioned before was for New Year's Eve, which has morphed into gluten free beignets and hot chocolate for my kids on New Year's now. "SinterKlaas" would also throw hard little cookies (usually pepernoten) against the wall, which made a big noise and distracted the kids who were scrambling for them. A loud knock would come to the back door and there would be a bag of presents for the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 :D love the spelling of the Dutch words on this thread :D. Oliebollen Pepernoten Sinterklaas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomeontheprairie Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 My dad's Dutch, and we got chocolate apples on Christmas Eve or in our shoes that we shared as a family. I will ask him the story behind it. We usually got chocolate letters, the first initial of our name like a "J" for "Jan", but when they weren't available we got chocolate apples. I am so glad we're not the only ones! though since our apples came from Droste, I know we can't be! anyone else heard of this? was a big deal when I was growing up (still is!) my moms great aunt came here from Holland and gave chocolate apples to all the kids. Interesting that no one else does this. anyone have any suggestions as where else I can ask? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Interesting. I grew up in Holland.....Michigan that is.....which is VERY VERY Dutch. In fact the V section of the phone book is the largest :-) Everyone is a Vander, Van, Vande, something. I have never heard of the chocolate apples. They have Dutch Village. You could google that and see if their chocolate store has them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 So, some kind of chocolate shaped like an apple (like a chocolate orange), not an apple dipped in chocolate or something? Are they apple-sized (like the oranges are), or smaller? Hey, wait, is this what you mean? Ooo... also comes in dark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosyne Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 A true Dutchie here, grew up in Holland, never heard about chocolate apples. Was always oranges for us. Chocolate letters and little chocolate Sinterklaas statues were the big chocolate related things, for Sinterklaas. Christmas was a lot like it is in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Olie bollen, pig in the blankets, poffertjes, stroopwaffles, almond patties -- yep. Chocolate apples, no. ... hopjes, hagel slag, frites met or zonder .... Oh, and zuit hout. (All of which I've likely misspelled!) Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 The chocolate apple has been discontinued. Too bad, because I was intrigued by that. Can you find here what you need? http://www.hollandsbest.com/chocolate/droste_chocolade.php Most of it, I've never seen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosyne Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 So, some kind of chocolate shaped like an apple (like a chocolate orange), not an apple dipped in chocolate or something? Are they apple-sized (like the oranges are), or smaller? Hey, wait, is this what you mean? Ooo... also comes in dark! Now that I think of it, we always have those in stockings. Dunno if it's a Dutch thing, though, I don't remember having them till we moved to the US. Can you find here what you need? http://www.hollandsbest.com/chocolate/droste_chocolade.php Most of it, I've never seen... Pastilles! I love Droste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomeontheprairie Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 So, some kind of chocolate shaped like an apple (like a chocolate orange), not an apple dipped in chocolate or something? Are they apple-sized (like the oranges are), or smaller? Hey, wait, is this what you mean? Ooo... also comes in dark! Yes! Like this. I have no idea what this says though :-) my family moved to Michigan, also. I guess I sort of assumed this was a well-known thing. Obviously not. I'll see if I can order those here, and I'll look into the Dutch village. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 This is German, but I wonder if the Dutch tradition might have been similar? http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art179008.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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