The first appointment of the new year 2014 is highly anticipated by grown-ups and little ones alike – the traditional festival of the Befana, an old woman who delivers gifts to the good children and coal to the bad ones. The festival will take place on Piazza Navona in the night from 5th to 6th of January, Epiphany Eve.
The flight of the Bafana on Piazza Navona
The Piazza is decorated in the colors of the Holidays; and the Christmas markets, that have begun November 24th, add to the Holiday spirit – there are booths filled with Christmas tree ornaments, cribs, toys and food stands all around. Then, on January 6th 2014, the Befana will arrive, and for all visitors present in the Piazza there will be some free give-aways: sweets, coal and entertainment.
The beautiful scenery of Piazza Navona provides the frame of an entertaining evening full of music and enjoyment, especially for children. As every year, there is a magical merry-go-round for them just a few steps from the Fountain, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, and they can enjoy themselves thanks to the entertainment organized by the City of Rome. In fact, there has been planned a celebration that will last the entire day for Epiphany Eve, not just the evening of the 5th, as is customary in most Italian cities. A large number of people is expected to be present on Piazza Navona, both tourists as well as citizens, who will have the possibility to taste sweets and buy some of the last Christmas souvenirs for the next year on the market stands in Piazza Navona.
For this event there are also planned shows by wire dancers, jugglers and artisans who will entertain young and old until the evening; but the protagonist of the festival is undoubtedly the Befana, bringing the long-anticipated sweets to those children who have been good throughout the year, and coal to those who have not behaved too well.
Epiphany Eve will be the event concluding the Holiday celebrations in the capital, which will return to normality on January 7th; for as they say in Italy, “The Epiphany takes all Celebrations away”.
