Epiphany and La Befana
6 January 2026 — Hop on the broom! The stockings are waiting for sweets, not coal!
On 6 January Western Christians and many Orthodox churches mark Epiphany; in the Western tradition it recalls the visit of the Magi, and in Italy it is a public holiday. According to folk tradition, on the night before, an old woman called La Befana flies on a broomstick and fills children's stockings. Well-behaved children find sweets and small gifts, while the naughty ones get a playful lump of “coal”, usually black sugar candy. Her name comes from “Epifania”, the Italian word for Epiphany. One legend says she was invited to join the Magi on their way to the newborn child but declined, then regretted it, and has been searching and giving gifts ever since. She is a folkloric figure, much loved across Italy. Many towns hold festivals, parades and markets, and families leave tangerines, sweets and a glass of wine for her. The day closes the Christmas season. In the Gospel story the Magi follow a star, so the night sky is closely tied to this feast.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver figure made of luminous dots and fine lines, like a constellation: a kindly old woman with a shawl riding a broomstick, a big sack of gifts trailing behind her
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