Merry Christmas!
Don’t get me wrong. Italian children enjoy Christmas like every other kid around the world.
But what they really look forward to is January.
January 6, to be precise. That’s the day when the Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated. Epiphany commemorates the 12th day of Christmas, when the Three Wise Men arrived at the manger with gifts for the newborn Jesus.
Christmas Eve, with the arrival of Santa Claus or Babbo Natale—is a relatively new tradition. But the tradition of La Festa dell’Epifania is a very old one. According to Italian legend, La Befana is the real main event.
As the story goes, La Befana refused to join the Wise Men on their journey. She ended up regretting her decision and set out to find where Jesus Christ was born so she could offer her own gifts. But she never found him. So instead, she travels on her broom with a large sack full of treats and leaves gifts for other children.
Italian children leave out their shoes or put up stockings for the Befana to fill on January 5th, Epiphany Eve.
The old, tattered and soot-covered Befana flies around the world on a broomstick and comes down chimneys to deliver candy and presents to children who have been good during the year.
For children who were a bit naughty, Befana leaves lumps of coal. Some shops in Italy make a special candy called carbone, a black rock candy that looks like pieces of coal. So even those who missed the mark have a sweet treat to enjoy.
Regret is a powerful emotion and can cause one to do almost anything to make up for it. At Money & Clarity, our obsession is to make sure you don’t experience any regret regarding your financial decisions. Instead, we help our clients make smart choices that will make them glad.
Give us a call at 513-563-PLAN (7526) or book online. We’ll spend about 15 minutes on the call with you and discover where you are financially and where you’d like to be. We’ll make sure you’re on track to reach your own destination. No lump of coal for you, because meeting with us is the perfect epitome of showing good—and wise—behavior.
Regards,
Nikki Earley, CFP®
