The Epiphany and La Befana

While many countries around the world mark the New Year as the end of the festive period, Italy continues the celebrations throughout the beginning of January, celebrating the national holiday of The Epiphany. The Epiphany and the celebration of La Befana are significant in the Italian Christmas festivities as they commemorate the 12th day of Christmas. The 12th day of Christmas is the day the Three Wise Men arrived and gave gifts to Baby Jesus. The celebration of the Epiphany began in the Eastern Church, however by the 4th Century AD the Church in Rome also began to celebrate it.

January 6th this known as La Befana, named after a witch Befana from the traditional story. In the story, Befana was stopped by the Magi and asked for directions to find Jesus. Befana was also invited to go along but initially refused. Not long later, Befana had a change of heart and tried to find the baby, but to no avail. Befana gave the gifts she had got for him to other children instead. Now it is said that she travels every January 5th to look for the manger and give presents to any Italian children who leave out shoes or hang stockings up on Epiphany Eve. The legend came about in the 13th century, and for a long time, La Befana was a legend only in Rome and its surrounding regions. This festival has become more popular across the whole of Italy in the last hundred years.

La Befana also has a selection of special treats related to the celebration, including sweet coal, cookies (named Befanini) and Befana cake (a cake which has a large dried bean inside of it). It is a tradition that whoever gets the slice of cake with the bean inside it is king or queen for the day!

I hope you have enjoyed reading about the Italian celebration of La Befana, The Epiphany and learning more about the Italian culture! Do you celebrate The Epiphany? Let me know!

-Sophs