Belgians spend €350 million a year on Saint Nicholas Day gifts

Belgians spend an average of €350 million each year on gifts for the holiday of Saint Nicholas, writes De Morgen. The 6 December holiday is a big one for gift-giving in Belgium, according to figures from the West Flemish consultancy WES, which surveyed 2,000 Belgian adults and found that 58% of them buy presents for their children on Saint Nicholas Day.

Purchasing behaviours vary according to the type of household, the study shows. A whopping 90% of Belgian families with one or more children under the age of six buy gifts 'from the Saint'. In households where the youngest child is between six and 12 years old, 86% buy gifts. Even in families with older children, whose youngest child is between 13 and 17 years old, the Saint still brings something for 62% of the respondents.

Grandparents also show a great fondness for the holiday, spending about €70 per grandchild on average, which WES calculated into its conclusion that Belgians spend a total of about €350 million on the holiday annually.