This year we suddenly had to totally change the way we used to live and celebrate things, including the way the children used to meet the Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) in the neighborhood.

Some countries annually celebrate the St. Nicholas day on December 5th, including the Netherlands. The presence of St. Nicholas and his helpers is always the ones the children are waiting for. But there is no reason to give this celebration up during the pandemic, the people in Apeldoorn city in The Netherlands found a new way to bring their children meeting their Sinterklaas.

According to In De Buurt Apeldoorn online news, it was reported that they decided to have a drive-in system in order to meet Sinterklaas safely during the pandemic. The decision was welcomed by the children in the area. The result was great.

— Vanuit de auto zwaaien naar Sinterklaas ‘Het is wel even wennen’. Source: Omroep Gelderland YouTube Channel —

“It’s a nice alternative, so that we can meet the children and the children can really come see Sinterklaas in person,” Nienke Spruit, who acted as one of the saint’s jolly helpers at a drive-in in the city of Apeldoorn on Sunday, as reported in Reuters yesterday. Dozens of cars waited in line to let children sing a song to Sinterklaas or hand drawings to his helpers who were holding big red box, through their windows in return for a gift.

— Jaan de Hoop and Sinterklaas in Het Apeldoorn Sinterklaasjournaal. Source: Sint In Apeldoorn and Tim Koldenhof Producties & Events —

Jaan De Hoop, a Dutch TV presenter, has been presenting the Apeldoornse Sinterklaasjournaal from November 20th, to keep all Apeldoorn children informed on the arrival of Saint Nicholas in Apeldoorn. It will be presented in three episodes in Sint in Apeldoorn official website and Tim Koldenhof Producties abd Events YouTube Channel. The first episode was November 20th and the second one will be November 27th. Stay tuned allemaal!

For more information about Sint In Apeldoorn: Website www.sintinapeldoorn.nl — Instagram @sintinapeldoorn.nl.

Sources: Drive-ins let Dutch kids have socially distanced meeting with St. Nicholas — Sinterklaas 2020 in Apeldoorn: zo zorg je dat je in de sfeer komt — Jan de Hoop presents an Apeldoorn version of the Sinterklaas news — Het Apeldoorns Sinterklaasjournal vanaf 20 November op – www.sintinapeldoorn.nl — Vanuit de auto zwaaien naar Sinterklaas – ‘Het is even wennen’.