Clash of Italian Christmas Giants: Babbo Natale vs. Befana.

Father Christmas [Babbo Natale] is the most polar gift-giving character of Christmas [Natale] period. However, the main day for gift giving in Italy used to be, and still in part is, Epiphany [Epifania], on January 6th. Epifania is when the three Wise Men [Re Magi] gave the new-born Jesus their gifts - oro, incenso, and mirra. Presents on the Epifania day are brought by an old, and not-so-good looking, woman flying on her broom stick: La Befana. She arrives in the night to fill children’s stockings [calze].