Don’t forget to leave out 👟 tonight!
Happy Epiphany Eve ✨🧹
While many children eagerly await Babbo Natale on Christmas Eve, in Italy, there’s another visitor who carries much older magic.
Tonight belongs to La Befana.
La Festa dell’Epifania, celebrated on January 6, is just as important as Christmas Day in Italy, especially for children.
According to legend, La Befana was invited to join the Wise Men on their journey to see the Christ Child. She refused, then later regretted her choice. Setting out with gifts in hand, she never found him… so instead, she left gifts for other children along the way.
And so the story continues.
Every Epiphany Eve, the old, soot-smudged, tattered witch flies through the night on her broom, slipping down chimneys to leave candy and small presents for children who have been good and a little coal for those who haven’t
Italian children leave out their shoes or hang stockings on the night of January 5, waiting for La Befana to arrive.
I love her because she reminds us that magic doesn’t have to be polished or pretty. Sometimes wisdom comes from missed opportunities and regret. From this, generosity can be born from those missed chances, and the love that keeps traveling long after the moment has passed.
Jen 🌙
xoxo