Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Public life is generally quiet in Italy on January 1
st
. Post offices, banks, stores and other
businesses are closed. Outside of tourist areas, restaurants and cafés may be closed.
→ Epifania [epifa'nia]
This is a Christian holy day on January 6
th
that celebrates the day when the Three Kings
came to see the baby Jesus. Throughout Italy its symbol is the “Befana”: an ugly, old wo-
man that flies on a broom, bringing sweets to good children and coal to bad children on
Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5
th
). It is another occasion for families to spend a day
together and have a festive lunch with relatives.
There is a nice poem about Befana that children often study at school. You can learn it by
heart and tell it to Italian children. They will hope that you are bringing them a sweet!
Here you can also find the English translation:
La Befana vien di notte
Con le scarpe tutte
rotte
Col vestito alla romana
Viva, Viva La Befana!
[la be'fana vi'en di not:e]
[kon le 'skarpe tut:e
rot:e]
[kol ve'stito alla ro'mana]
['viva
The Befana comes by night
With her shoes all tattered and torn
She comes dressed in the Roman way
Long life to the Befana!
'viva
la
be'fana]
→ La festa della donna [la 'festa del:a 'don:a]
It is the Women's day: 8 Marzo ['ot:o 'martso] (March 8
th
) ; it isn't a real holiday, in the
sense that people go to work and children go to school, but it is often celebrated by men
giving a mimosa branch to the ladies.
→ Pasqua ['paskua]
At Easter Christian people go to the church (on Saturday night, or on Sunday) to celebrate
Jesus Christ's resurrection. In the morning children are happy to get up, because they know
they are going to open the UOVO DI PASQUA (the Easter egg) and then people have a
great lunch with their relatives.
→ Lunedì dell'Angelo [lune'di del:'andʒelo] / Pasquetta [pa'skuet:a]
