Florence’s 2025 ‘Befana’ Celebrations
A legal holiday in Italy (banks, stores and offices are all closed although the major museums will be open), Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the Three Kings in Bethlehem bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the Christ child. January 6 is also the day of la Befana, when gifts are exchanged marking the end of holiday festivities.
La Befana is an aged, witch-like woman, who knows which children have been good or bad throughout the year. On the evening of January 5, Italian children hang out stockings in the hopes of them being filled with sweets. The naughty children can expect lumps of coal. Events involving the Befana, with broom and black head scarf, will take place around Tuscany.
FLORENCE
There will be numerous events headlining La Befana also in city of the Renaissance.
Befana and her helpers will offer free boat rides to all at the Canottieri Comunali (Florence Boat Club, Lungarno Ferruccio 10) from 10 am onwards, in the company of trained rescue dogs. Back on shore, they will give stockings filled with treats to kids in addition to Italian holiday desserts (panettone and pandoro), tea and hot chocolate to all comers. Mulled wine will be served to adults.
In a creative twist, la Befana will head a parade of vintage cars leaving the Cascine Park at 10:30 am, giving gifts to traffic cops (vigili urbani) along a route that ends in Piazza Santa Maria Novella at 12 noon, where children will be the recipients of her generosity.
La Befana will make a landing in Piazza della Repubblica on January 6 at 11:30 am to deliver candy and desserts to waiting kids.
After lunch, la Befana and firefighters will drop down from the terrace of the Loggia dei Lanzi into Piazza Signoria. The event will begin at 3 pm, and children are invited to attend to receive candy and sweets from the lady herself.
AROUND FLORENCE
She will make an exclusive appearance on the eve of the holiday, January 5, in piazza dell’Isolotto, where she will give candy to children starting at 4:30 pm. The evening will come to a close with a bonfire.
Always in Isolotto, on January 6 the Limonaia is the setting for an evening program: fables will be read (in Italian) to kids at 3:30 pm, the Melograno Children’s Choir will sing holiday songs at 5 pm, and the Befana herself will appear at 5:30 pm to distribute sweets.
Earlier in the day, the Befana will fly to the garden of Villa Arrivabene (piazza Alberti 1/A) with gifts for children (10 am).
To continue the festivities Teatro Verdi (via Ghibellina 99) will be hosting performances of “Peter Pan” on Saturday (8:45 pm), Sunday and Monday (4:45 pm).
