On the 6th of January, all the children in Italy wait with great trepidation the gifts of Befana, an old lady ,ugly but very nice with children, as an old witch .
The evening before , on window sills and under the chimneys are lined socks ... Sometimes there is even a touching letter or a plate of soup for the good old Befana.
In Tuscany, the eve of Epiphany boys produce a a big rug puppet and take him around the streets.
The children of Rome leave much of their dinner for her when she comes down the chimney at midnight .
In the Marche and Sardinia are the Three Kings , who , at midnight , down from the mountains on horseback lay the gifts for the children in their socks or shoes on the windows.
In Milan , especially in times past, the feast of the Epiphany was very solemn for the whole day was a constant unfolding of parades and processions , which were closed in the square in front of Duomo Cathedral, with rich distributions of gifts.
In Venice, the kids hang their socks under the fireplace and sing a song of invitation to the old lady because she fills their socks with good things .
In Sicily, the Befana , wrapped in a white cloak , runs from house to house waving a bell to alert all of her arrival. In other countries, the children themselves , dressed as the Three Kings , go from house to house to ask for some little presents .
