The story behind our Saint Nicholas in Belgium:
Sinterklaas (also called Saint Nicholas or Sint) is the main character of the children’s festival celebrated in the Netherlands, Belgium and in some other countries. The highlight of the Sinterklaas feast is gift night, which is celebrated in the Netherlands on Dec. 5 and in Belgium on Dec. 6 in the morning on the day of the presents. St. Nicholas was a bishop who lived in the fourth century. His name was Nicholas of Myra. He gave a lot of money to poor people, but most famously, he threw bags of money through the window of a poor man’s cottage because he was threatening to have to sell his daughters to his creditors. He was so famous that they still kept his bones. They are now in Bari, in Italy. Since the 19th century, St. Nicholas has had a servant with him, Black Pete, and rides a horse.
