Christmas in Belgium

While we reminisce about our holiday traditions of the past and ones for the present, I thought it would be interesting to hear about Christmas traditions from another mom of two young girls who lives in Belgium. They celebrate St. Nicholas’s visit on Dec. 6 AND Christmas! (can you imagine?)               

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2nd of November, Maïlys and I are going to the Mall for a quick shopping. We are going up the escalator talking about things and others but then I see him right in front of us! I have 2 choices or I keep going and she will see him as well and all the questions-I don’t-want-to-answer-because-I-just-don’t really-know-what-to-say will arrive or I just run away!

But then I hear a little voice beside me telling me with a bit of excitement: “Mommy look whose there! How come is St Nicolas already there today? It’s too early I haven’t finish my letter for him!” And so after a blurry explanation on the why-St-Nicolas-is-there-so-early (thank to him) for the first time in my mommy life, I went with my daughters to see St Nicolas in his lovely little house in the middle of the Mall. After telling him that she had been really really wise this year, Maïlys received candies and me a huge smile on her face!!

In Belgium, St Nicolas is the most important person of the year for children. My daughter is waiting the entire year for him to come on the 6th of December to bring her lots of candies and presents she has  “chosen” on catalogues. To wait for him to come on the D day, and since a few weeks, she sings songs for him and put her slippers in front of the fireplace before going to sleep. And when she is asleep I put candies on it!

During the night before the 6th of December, me and my husband will have the mission to decorate the living room and put the presents and candies for her and her sister. My mum was the best ever to do that! Every year she would play a trick. I remember once when “St Nicolas” lost the handle of the living room door. With my sisters we had to look around the entire house to find it before we could get into the room and discover our presents! Or another time we found “St Nicolas’ donkey” dung by the fireplace right next to the rest of carrots we put for him! It was so much fun.

It’s usually a holiday you only do with your children at home. But some people (in my opinion) are just exaggerating and do it also at the grandparents houses, the godfather/mother houses and finally the children receive so many candies and games that they have a bout of indigestion before Christmas and don’t even enjoy it anymore! And also it’s not fair for the parents like me that have to explain to their children why, for them, St Nicolas is only coming at home and not somewhere else! And most of it, Christmas is coming so soon! I don’t know where they find ideas for so many gifts! A friend of mine doesn’t have a living room anymore, it’s just a huge playground!

And so then there is Christmas. My husband goes get the tree, we decorate it with Maïlys and put the lights outside (not as much as in the US) and wintertime looks much better.

I love this part of the year. I don’t know why, It’s hard to explain. The lights everywhere, the decorations … I’m just like a kid again! But then there is the shopping part. Going on the crowded shops with the heat to high on trying to find the best gift ever for everyone. I hate this part of the holiday! But finally when we are all together at my parents house beside the tree so full of presents you don’t even see it anymore, I really enjoy it. Maïlys and Elsa (my nephew) trying to find which ones are for them, the “adults” trying to find who got them, (before the holiday, we put the names of everyone in a pot. We get one and have to make a little present for him). But also eating lots and lots and to much lovely things and … being together!

JOYEUX NOËL ET BONNE ANNÉE 2012

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My name is Nathalie, I’m Belgian (a very small European country between The Netherlands, Germany and France). My husband and I have two lovely girls. Maïlys was born in 7 February 2007 and Inès was born in 5 January 2011. I lived for one year as an exchange student in Altus, Oklahoma where I got the chance to live with Casey’s family. I still whish I could live in a foreign country but don’t have enough courage to do for the moment. Maybe when the girls get older who knows!