Next: 6 Jan 2027
La Befana
Italy's good witch flies in on a broomstick on Epiphany eve and fills stockings with sweets, or coal for the naughty.
When is La Befana in 2027?
La Befana 2027 is on Wednesday, 6 January 2027. Other years: 2026, Tuesday, 6 January 2026; 2028, Thursday, 6 January 2028.
About La Befana
La Befana is an old woman in Italian folklore who brings gifts to children on the night of 5 January, the eve of Epiphany. She flies on a broom, dressed in a shawl, with a sack of sweets and toys. In the story, the Magi stopped to ask her the way to Bethlehem and invited her to join them. She refused and later regretted it, and so she wanders to this day, leaving presents at every house in case the Christ child is there. Good children find sweets, chocolate and small toys in the stockings hung by the chimney or the door. Those who misbehaved are given coal, now usually made of black sugar candy. In Urbania, in the Marche, a festival of the Befana is held for four days.
La Befana dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | La Befana date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, 6 January 2026 |
| 2027 | Wednesday, 6 January 2027 |
| 2028 | Thursday, 6 January 2028 |
What is eaten
- dolci
- sugar coal
- chocolate
Also part of it, and being written: Befana (The gift-bringing figure.), Epiphany (The feast of the day.), Urbania (The town with a Befana festival.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Befana" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.