by V4 Agency
Two ministers have penned a letter to St. Nicholas to reassure him that he will not be bound by the nationwide curfew, allowing him to do his job on the country’s empty streeets. Santa has also been assured that all the children have been good and rather well-behaved during the epidemic.
In a kind gesture to Belgium’s children, a royal decree grants Santa an exemption from the coronavirus constraints, so he can do his thing.
Penning a joint letter to St. Nicholas, Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden and Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke asked him not to worry, as he would be exempt from the country’s strict coronavirus restrictions in place from 10 pm to 6 am.
Santa has already indicated to the little ones that he would do the job, even if he had to balance on rooftops wearing a spacesuit. However, the letter from the two ministers appears to have dispelled every doubt.
The decree, to be entered in “Moniteur Belge” (the official journal of the Kingdom of Belgium), is based on the fact that although St. Nicholas traditionally arrives from Spain by a steamboat, his journey takes around 17 days, which is seven days more than the mandatory quarantine. The ministers also wrote that, although wearing a face mask is recommended, Santa does not necessarily have to wear one because, according to a virologist, his beard is long and thick enough to provide him protection.
The letter also explains that this year Santa will not check whether the kids have been good or bad, because every child behaved well during the pandemic, so they all deserve their gifts. “Every child is one little hero, so now there won’t be a need to check who’s been good,” they conclude their letter by saying.