GiveWhy Hello Saint Nicholas?
As children, we used to queue in shopping centres to see Saint Nicholas, and those few seconds with him were magical. But more than once, our turn never came: so many children were dreaming of that moment that Saint Nicholas, overwhelmed, couldn't see them all before he had to leave.
And every child is different. Some, shyer, only need a few seconds; others want to tell him things and ask questions. Every Saint Nicholas does his best, but letting everyone through isn't always possible: five minutes per child for a queue of a hundred children would already mean more than eight hours of waiting.
It may sound a little silly now, as an adult, but even though I tried to hide it, I was really sad back then. As a child, you don't understand why Saint Nicholas had time for others, but not for you.
There will never be enough Saint Nicholases for all the children who dream of meeting him, and not every family can travel or wait, especially with a brother, a sister or a baby in their arms. I simply wanted to offer another way to meet him. Not to replace Saint Nicholas's visit, which isn't and never will be our aim, but as one more possibility: at home, at a time that suits you, and a little more personal. The parent tells him two or three things in advance, a proud moment from the year, the place where the surprise is waiting, and Saint Nicholas talks about them with the child.
We want to help keep the tradition of Saint Nicholas alive, and with it the tradition of Christmas. It all starts with him: Saint Nicholas is the one who inspired Santa. Every country celebrates these days in its own way, and we want to respect each one's culture and traditions. Parents in Belgium or anywhere else, your advice and requests help us do better: write to us at contact@allosaintnicolas.be.
Magical family moments stay with you for life. A hidden surprise, a child who hears their own name and feels that Saint Nicholas hasn't forgotten them: that is our small contribution.
Artificial intelligence is taking up more and more room in our lives, and many parents worry about it. To be honest, so do we. That is why, from the very first day, we set ourselves one rule that is not up for discussion: keep nothing about your child. To keep it, we had to give up some ideas.
But we found other ways. Saint Nicholas's notebook is one of them: it stays on your device, never with us, and yet it is what keeps the magic going from one call to the next, this year or next year. Your child discovers that Saint Nicholas remembers them, and that Santa has heard about them. They feel that this whole little world knows them, is proud of them and believes in them. Everything is explained in our commitments.
It's a small project, made with a lot of care.