On January 6, the 3 Wise Men visited the baby Jesus paying him homage with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. My Italian grandmother used to take down her Christmas tree calling it Little Christmas. In Italy, The Epiphany signals the end of the Christmas season with a witch, La Befana (possibly a mispronunciation of L'Epifania). Well, she's an old, ugly woman with old, tattered Roman clothes and broken shoes. She rides around on her broomstick like a horse. And the children have to be in bed when she arrives; she doesn't like to be seen or else the children will get coal. She'll bring little toys, trains, dolls, mandarins, and other fruit to the children who were good and ash and coal to those who weren't. But nowadays, there is a "coal" candy made from black sugar that parents will put in their child's stocking along with toys.
La Befana's story is entangled with the 3 Wise Men and has been celebrated at least since the 13th Century whereas Babbo Natale, Santa Claus, arrived in Italy in World War 2. I've read that the 3 Wise Men had asked Befana to come along to pay homage to Baby Jesus but she was too busy cleaning or she was too heartbroken after losing a child. Only later she changes her mind, follows the star, but arrives too late. The Holy Family has already left for Egypt. Then the gifts she had brought for Baby Jesus she then distributes to good little boys and girls around possibly still looking for Baby Jesus.
But as Christianity started in the context of the Pagan Roman environment where many early Christian traditions were borrowed from them. Historians believe that the legend may derive from the Sabine (a pre-Roman Italic tribe of central Italy) and later as adopted by the Romans, the goddess Strina/Strenua. She was a goddess of the New Year, purification, and well-being. She safeguarded youth by providing health and strength. Strina was an elderly goddess.
In Italy, children put out stockings for Befana on the evening of the 5th...and they also leave glasses of wine and cookies! And when she leaves, she sweeps the floor behind her because she likes cleaning, and she may have also been a housekeeper. And it may also signal sweeping away problems of the year.
While the holiday from work is nice as well as the stories and tradition of La Befana, what I really like the closure to the holiday. Today is the day to relax, spend time with family and friends, and above all, put your Christmas decorations away. The Christmas Season has, once again, ended.
The next holiday: Carnevale!
But until then, Buona Befana!
Sources: https://journeyingtothegoddess.wordpress.com/tag/strina/
http://www.stylecoven.com/post/14018623062/the-italian-christmas-witch-la-befana
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strenua
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/yuletraditions/p/La-Befana.htm
http://carminesuperiore.blogspot.it/2009/01/la-befania-epiphany-twelfth-night.html
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