Epiphany Celebration in Italy

December 19th, 2009

Italy’s traditional Epiphany celebration includes the tale of a white-haired witch known as “La Befana” who arrives on her broomstick during the night of January 5 and fills the stockings with toys and sweets for the good children and lumps of coal for the bad ones. Epiphany is the 12th day of Christmas when the three Wise Men gave Baby Jesus their gifts. According to the tale, the night before they arrived at the manger they stopped at the shack of an old woman and invited her to come along but she was busy. Later, she decided to join them but got lost so she flies around on her broom-stick each year on the 11th night, bringing gifts to children in hopes that she might find the Baby Jesus.

Entry Filed under: Travel Stories