Every year on January 5 in Northeastern Italy they celebrate a day called Panevin or Falò. Panevin, meaning bread and wine, is an Italian holiday to bring in the new year. By burning a pile of wood with a witch, Vecia or old lady, made out of old clothes and horse hair at the top of the fire. While watching the fire, people watch to see if the smoke goes in a certain direction to know if they are going to have a good harvest this coming year. If it goes south and west, this means a good harvest, while north and east mean a bad one is to come.
Also, being celebrated today is La Befana, which is the coming of the Three Kings or Befana, old woman, to stuff candy into the stocking kids have put out.
One legend is told that the Three Kings approached Befana to ask her for directions to where the "Son of God" was being born. But she did not know. She let them spend the night and was considered the best housekeeper in the village with the best home. They invited her the next morning to come on the journey with them to baby Jesus, but she declined the offer because she was too busy with housework. Later on, she had changed her mind and wanted to try and find the Three Kings to go see baby Jesus too. Unfortunately, she was not able to find him. So to this day, she leaves toys and candy or fruit for all the good children and the bad children get coal, onions or garlic.
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