Saint Nicholas

On 6 December in Belgium, we celebrate St Nicholas Day in honour of St Nicholas' birthday. He hands out presents to all the good children of Belgium. Every year, he arrives in Antwerp on his steamboat from Spain, where he lives. He is accompanied by his black pete's who play the role of servants and help carry the presents around. You can compare the black pete's to the elves who help Santa Claus. He also has a white horse called "Bad weather today".

Traditionally, before going to bed on 5 December, every child puts their shoe with a glass of water for St Nicholas, beer for Black Pete, a carrot and sugar cube for St Nicholas' horse and a letter with the presents they would like. At night, St Nicholas and Black Pete visit every house and ride his horse on the rooftops. Black Pete is black because he always crawls into the chimneys of the houses to open the front door for St Nicholas. On the morning of 6 December, the children get up in joyful anticipation of the presents that St Nicholas has brought that night. Besides presents, he also brings Speculoos, picnics, chocolate, meringues (better known as onze-lieve-vrouwtjes or Mariatjes), marzipan and tangerines.

St Nicholas is represented as a stately old man with a long white beard and long hair, a red mitre and cloak. He also carries a long golden staff. Black Pete usually wears tights, colourful striped puff trousers and coat with a cape if necessary. He also wears a white millinery collar and cuffs and on his head he has a beret with a feather. Black Pete often also carries a burlap sack with gifts and sweets. In the past, he was used as a child scare and would also take children in the burlap sack and punish them with the rod. Now, Black Pete is seen as a children's friend and the rod has completely disappeared.