Florence Things to Do

January 6th is an important day in Italy. It marks the end of the Christmas season with Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas, and the day the wise men came to present their frankincense, myrrh and gold to the baby Jesus. Traditionally it is marked by La Befana, an old woman who was asked directions by the three wise men, then invited to join them on their journey but who turned down the offer – although she later changed her mind then could not find the travelers. Or so the story goes.

Babbo Natale is Father Christmas; I do not know how he differs from Santa, so he might not actually have anything to do with chimneys. I get the idea that European ideas of Santa Claus are a lot more dignified than they are in the USA. Here he looks, well, he looks like an American. In Europe, he looks more venerable.