Twelfth night

Children in Italy will have woken up to the sight of sweets in a shoe – the Befana came during the night!  This is in addition to the Christmas presents they will have received on the 25th December, lucky children!  Over in Spain, on the other hand, children will have received presents from the three kings, following a night of celebrations in the towns, with processions, music and much more.  In France, people will be busy baking a special type of cake (called a ‘galette’) containing a figure, which when found, allows the recipient to ‘be a king’ for the day.  Many different countries have their own way of celebrating the end of the Christmas season.  It is interesting to research these different customs and their origins.  Throughout the year each country will celebrate different events for different reasons.  Watch this space to learn more as the year goes on…