Spending Epiphany in Naples

In Naples, the day of the Befana is deeply felt: the city dresses up for the arrival of the famous old woman who, on the night between the 5th and 6th of January, fills the stockings of the well-behaved with sweets and treats... leaving, for the naughtier and more capricious ones, only coal and onions.

by Alessia Giannino

As the saying goes: “L'Epifania tutte le feste porta via” (Epiphany carries away all the festivities); indeed, it is the last "red" day on the calendar, after the Christmas celebrations and New Year, before getting back into the usual routine. The festival recalls the arrival of the Three Wise Men at the grotto of Jesus, and it is precisely the gesture of giving gifts to the baby Jesus that is, in a way, "imitated" and echoed by the Befana.

For the occasion, the streets fill up with stalls, where grown-ups can buy chocolate and all sorts of goodies to fill the little ones' stockings.

One of the areas of particular buzz in the city is certainly Piazza del Carmine, in the Mercato district, where Neapolitans head for their traditional appointment with the market, which stays open until dawn on the 6th of January. In this place which, for one night, seems almost timeless, you can truly find anything, including packaged or handmade sweets and countless types of decorative stockings.

Besides the markets, which can be found almost everywhere, on Epiphany Day the main squares of Naples usually host so-called “Befana Parties”, complete with the election of Miss Befana. Even museums arrange themed guided tours, which tourists and families can take part in.

As for lunch on the day, since there isn't a specific traditional menu, people tend to be more relaxed about it, and many book a table at one of the restaurants along the Lungomare (seafront promenade), where it's always lovely to take a stroll and enjoy, in peace and harmony, this last day of the festivities.

Naturally, the more laid-back and sweet-toothed prefer to spend this time at home instead, indulging in the sweets from their stockings!