St. Nicholas

For the first half of December Dan was back in Belgium finishing up some work before the end of the year. The fun part about his trip was they were able to be there for their big Christmas celebration when St. Nicholas comes. He comes on December 6th or the evening before while the kids are sleeping in their beds. Who is he? He was a man who used his whole inheritance to assist the needy and then he became a Catholic Bishop. He arrives in Belgium from Spain on a steamship and rides his white horse around to all the kids homes. The kids leave hay & carrots in their shoes for his horse. Saint Nicholas will leave the children a chocolate inital letter (like my kids received) and gifts. Another fun part of St. Nicholas is his assistant Black Pete. Instead of having elves like our Santa Claus he has black pete who helps him.

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Here are some of his low quality pictures he brought back to show me. He thought he was being nice leaving the camera home with me, but I have TWO cameras.

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These are Belgian Chocolate St. Nicholas figures and also a speculos St. Nicholas a gift they recieved when they got to Belgium.

Dan saw St. Nicholas him self along with 2 helpers.

I so wish you could see these pictures better.
A silhouette of the Cathedral in Antwerp

Here they have ice skating around a famous fountain in Antwerp

(so cool to see this place during a different season)

Christmas

Bunch of santas on a run.

Ordering the BEST Belgian waffles ever!

You have no idea!

Of course Dan would rather be home, and we would rather have him here. But if he is going to be gone he knows he must take pictures for me to see the place. I was so excited to see pictures of this trip because I was at the exact same place months earlier. Just wish they were better quality, but I will take what I can get.