As usual in Belgium, there are two ways to celebrate Saint-Nicolas: the Flemish way and the Walloon way.
Sinterklaas
Among the Flemish, Saint-Nicolas (who calls himself Sinterklaas) travels in the cities on a beautiful white horse and not on a donkey.
He arrives on a boat … from Spain loaded with gifts because the rest of the year, Saint Nicholas lives in Spain.
This can be explained by the history of the Netherlands, just above, which has long been under Spanish influence so the best things inevitably came from Spain!
The parents take the children to the nearest port to see the arrival of the good Saint Nicholas on his boat.
Two “fathers whipper”
In the Netherlands and among the Flemish, there are two fouettard fathers!
They are called “Zwarte Piet” and they are the assistants of Saint-Nicolas, they are much less wicked than our whipping father.
The Zwarte Piet are increasingly contested in the country, with some locals seeing it as a form of racism.
The Gift Tour
Among the Flemish, Saint-Nicolas bring gifts on the evening of the 5th, among the Walloons, he spends the night of the 5th to the 6th.
Children leave their shoes in front of their bedroom door.
In French-speaking Belgium, Saint-Nicolas rides on his donkey like with us, we leave him a carrot and for the great saint it will not be a glass of mirabelle but beer, logical in Belgium!
In Walonia, Saint Nicolas is nicknamed “the great saint”.
The little Belgians do not write to Santa Claus but to the great saint thanks to an address ultra known in the country:
Rue du paradis 1, 0612 CIEL.
All Belgians know this address to write to him.
We offer Saint-Nicolas in speculoos to children and not in gingerbread.
The patron saint of students
Note that in Belgium, we have not forgotten that Saint-Nicolas is also the patron saint of students.
Parades are often organized by students demanding coins from passers-by to buy beer and party in the evenings!