On the 6th of January, Christians celebrate the Epiphany; the arrival of the three Kings to baby Jesus’ crib. The Epiphany in Italy is usually associated with the end of the Christmas Holidays and the beginning of a new working year.
On this day, Christmas trees and decorations traditionally get taken down and in Italy, it’s quite common to say that the Epiphany carries away all the Holidays, but it’s not at all a sad day!
The Epiphany feast is, in fact, a very joyous experience. Let’s find out the reason behind this and explore Italy’s favorite ways to celebrate!
Candies and Gifts from Befana
The Befana is surely the main character of this holiday for kids. She’s a beloved witch that hops on her broom on the night between the 5th and 6th of January to bring kids all over the world all kinds of candies and sweet treats. She is said to only bring sweets to kids that were good throughout the year and just coal (black-colored sugar that only looks like coal!) to kids that were not really nice.
Kids usually leave out their Epiphany stocking on their chimney or the handle of their bedroom door in the evening and wake up on the morning of the 6th to find it full of candies, marking an amazing start to their day!
The Religious aspects of the Epiphany Feast
As mentioned before, the Epiphany actually celebrates the three Kings (Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar) arriving at the cave where baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It’s, in fact, a tradition to go to church and attend the mass on this particular day that, as the Western Christian Church says, commemorates the revelation of God as Jesus Christ to humanity.
What to eat on this day
In Italy, food is a crucial element of every Holiday, and if you want to know what to eat on the Epiphany feast, apart from all the sweets that the Befana put in your Epiphany stocking during the night, here’s a list of things to try on this day!
- BEFANINI: typical biscuits from Tuscany;
- CAMMELLI DI PASTA SFOGLIA: traditional sweet pastries from Lombardia made of puff pastry in the shape of small camels;
- FUGASSA D’LA BEFANA: a typical brioche cake made in Piemonte;
- STRUFFOLI: small balls of pastry that are fried and garnished with honey, typically made in Naples;
- PANETTONE and PANDORO: the protagonists of the Holidays in Italy;
- TORRONE;
Visiting Italy during this holiday
Coming to Italy for the Epiphany feast will surely be an incredible experience. The joy and happiness you will feel in the air and the great experiences you can have with fun activities like ice rinks, Christmas markets and much more will make your trip to Italy unforgettable!
