Saint Nicholas will specially recognize those children who have made efforts to be good during the past year. (Courtesy photo)

Saint Nicholas is coming to town

Dec. 6 is Saint Nicholas Day, a very special day for children in many European countries such as Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, and France. Saint Nicholas, precursor to Santa Claus, gives gifts to children that have been good over the past year.  

In some parts of the world, Santa Claus is dressed in a red suit and rides a sleigh pulled by reindeer to deliver gifts to the children. In others, Sinterklaas, or Saint Nicholas, is dressed in a red robe and wears a bishop’s miter and rides a horse or a donkey, has a helper and drops the gifts through the chimney. Both have the same origin dating back to the fourth century: the bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (in what is now Turkey). However, one delivers gifts at Christmas and the other one, Saint Nicholas, delivers them during the night of Dec. 5 to 6.

In The Netherlands, it is believed that Sinterklaas comes from Spain and travels by boat. There are some differences in how the Dutch and the Belgians celebrate Saint Nicholas. Leaving a beer for Saint Nicholas is a Belgian tradition. In both countries, children leave some goodies for the saint and carrots for the horse or the donkey.

Saint Nicholas knows everything about the children. He will specially recognize those children who have made efforts to be good during the past year.

The town of Sint-Niklaas in East Flanders has a statue of Sinterklaas in front of its town hall.

Special to the Gazette