Sing for candy

On the last day of the year, my brother came to Begijnendijk to do some 'nieuwjaarszingen' (new year's singing) with Auro. This is an old custom where children go from door to door to sing (wishing people a happy new year) and are in return rewarded with sweets (or some money). It still exists in many regions in Belgium, but has been disappearing from the less densely populated areas (like the one where my father lives). This year, however, it seems there was some kind of comeback of this piece of folklore, because the number of children that came to our door was bigger than I expected and we barely had enough candy (luckily my father is a stingy giver!). 

After we dressed Auro well to face the cold, we hung a cotton bag around his neck (to collect the candy) and off he went with his uncle and his father (who had tried really hard to memorize the words to the song, but could not follow the speed at which my brother sang and only managed to utter the words 'nieuwjaar' from time to time). I went along for a bit too, but returned home to look after my niece as soon as I started to get tired. When the boys came back with their impressive loot of candies and cookies, Auro was equally exhausted and in need of a loooong nap in the afternoon. 

Auro was the youngest singer on the block, but he sure looked the part ;-)

Auro quickly understood what it was really about: getting as much candy as possible!

This is the part that was invented for the fathers (and uncles)  who usually accompany the smallest ones: we are invited to come in and enjoy a glass of Jenever (=an alcoholic traditional liquor you can find in Belgium and the Netherlands, somewhat similar to gin)

Auro proudly posing with his 'snoepjes' (=candy)