Here is a great website that lists all of the traditional activities that take place for the holiday. Here is a short breakdown:
- - The holiday is mainly for the children to celebrate. Colorful parades with bands and banners are put on to greet St. Nicholas.
- - Much like the American Santa Claus, the Dutch Sinterklaas visits the children, bearing gifts if they’ve been good.
- - Chocolatiers all over Belgium (especially in Brussels) create beautiful window displays out of delicious chocolate for the holiday.
- - On St. Nicholas’ Eve (December 5th), children put their shoes outside the front door with treats for the saint’s horse (sugar lumps, hay, carrots) and a glass of wine for the saint.
- - In the morning, the children will find that their shoes have been filled with speculoos cookies, toys, marzipan, and other treats.
If you happen to be a Belgian expat in the states, specifically NYC, you can celebrate by finding the Waffle Truck and getting a free scoop of ice cream on your waffle! (It’s easiest to find them by following their Twitter.)Gelukkige Straat Nicholas Dag!
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