Belgian postal service Bpost opened a first Saint Nicholas Mail Box in Brussels this week. The name day of Saint Nicholas is celebrated on 6 December, when the good saint brings children presents. Just like Father Christmas the good saint also appreciates a letter beforehand and many children are eager to let him know which present they would like.
Starting this year children send their letters for Saint Nicholas using Bpost’s Saint Nicholas Mail Box and immediately receive an answer as well as a present. This week the Saint Nicholas Mail Box is located in the Docks shopping centre in Brussels. Next week, it moves on to Leuven.
Every year Bpost deploys dozens of people to answer all the children’s letters. This year the Belgian postal service is getting help from a large automatic mailbox. Put a letter in it and you immediately get an answer says Bpost’s Fanny Mindombé.
“Children put their letter in the box. Then a short video message from the Saint appears as well as a little surprise. Saint Nicholas also answers immediately with a letter of his own.”
The Saint Nicholas Mail Box is now in Brussels. From next weekend it moves to Leuven, Namur and many other places.
In addition, there is also a Saint Nicholas Secretariat. “It’s now up and running. Anyone who wants to send a letter should make a note of Saint Nicholas’s address. It’s Spain Street 1 in Heaven. Don’t forget to write down the sender’s address too!”
