January 6th or Epiphany is a holiday in Italy and celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings bearing gifts for the Christ Child. In Italy this day also marks the end of the Christmas and New Year festivities and Italian children become very excited about it as the Befana, the good witch, comes to leave them presents. In Italy the Befana is as loved as Santa Claus in other countries.
All Italian communites celebrate this day but here are three very special events that you may consider visiting:
Fiera della Befana, Rome, 6th January 2011
The Fiera della Befana is really the climax of the Christmas Market in Piazza Navona and the 6th January feast has been celebrated here for nearly 100 years. You will find hundreds of befana figures for sale, along with many “real” befane who are still searching for the baby Jesus. All kinds of sweets are on sale, among them traditional candies which are only made at this time of year. Children especially like “le mele incantate” or “enchanted apples”, which are apples coated in red sugar, like the one in the “Snow White” tale. You will also find “coal” made of sugar, which is traditionally put into the stockings of children who have behaved badly during the past year. Nowadays a little of this is put into most children’s stockings as a joke. Games for children are also organised in the square and adults can watch them whilst partaking of some of the other delicious food on offer.
Festa della Befana, Urbania [Marche] 2nd – 6th January 2011
This is the festival for “kids from one to ninety-two” , as the song says! The whole town of Urbania is turned into “Befanaland” for five days of celebrations of Italy’s favourite witch. Life-sized befana dolls hang from windows, there is “befana bingo” and there are even befana go-kart races. The town’s piazza del Mercato will be turned into the piazza dei Giochi [“Games Square”] for children.
This year there will be a special stand for the Befana’s “coal”, one of the squares will be transformed into a “chocolate square” and there will be parades of “Befane” from Urbania and neighbouring towns. There will also be a parade to show everyone the biggest stocking ever and , as usual, children will be able to visit the Befana’s house and write a letter to her and post it in the special post office.
Do not worry: There are plenty of activities for adults too and these include classical music concerts, food and wine tastings, street theatre and dancing.
There are more details on the festival website.
Epifania a Rivisondoli [Abruzzo] 2nd – 6th January 2011
Rivisondoli is one of the towns that has a “living crib” and on 5th January it traditionally stages a re-enactment of the arrival of the Three Kings.
This year the town celebrates its twinning with Greccio, scene of the first living crib in 1223 and in honour of this the Madonna of the Manger and the Madonna of the Annunciation are played by women from Greccio, whilst the Christ Child is represented by one of the most recently born babies in Rivisondoli.
At 18.00 on 5th January there will be a procession to the crib, which stands at an altitude of 1380 metres, involving around 600 people dressed in regional or Biblical costume. Some will bring their own animals along and many will bring gifts for the baby Jesus.
