Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children

Three children went out to glean food. On their way home, they lost their way. After walking for a long time, they saw lights shining from a house. It was a butcher’s shop. The butcher welcomed them in and gave them food and a place to sleep for the night. Once they were sound asleep, he slit the children’s throats, cut them into little pieces and put them in a barrel of salt. Several years passed. Saint Nicholas heard about the three little children. He went to see the evil butcher, and asked for a piece of salted meat to eat. Seeing the colour drain from the butcher’s face, the Saint blessed the barrel and opened it up. The children climbed out, fresh as daisies, saying how well they had slept.

Inaugurated in 2009, a monumental fresco signed by Hergé welcomes you at the main entrance of Brussels-Luxembourg station. This fresco, published for advertising purposes in the newspaper Le Soir in 1932, features Quick and Flupke, one of the Thomson and Thompson...But also Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas)!