Italy Edition
Dia de Reyes leads today's complete edition for Italy.
Daily Edition
Official observances, world days, local context, and everyday celebrations for people who need something worth reading, sharing, or talking about today.
Kids leave their shoes out the night before and wake up hoping for a gift from the Reyes Magos. The panaderias sell roscon de reyes, the ring-shaped sweet bread with a plastic baby hidden inside. Whoever finds the baby hosts the next gathering, though everyone forgets by February.
On January 6th, after the Befana has come and the holidays are over, Italian families take down the tree, pack away the presepe, and do a deep clean. The tradition is practical: the house has been full of guests, food, and decorations for two weeks, and it needs to be put back in order. The cleaning is thorough, the complaints are loud, and the result is a house that is ready for the new year. . 2026: Mar 4. 2027: Mar 23.
The Befana, an old woman on a broomstick, delivers gifts to children on the night of January 5th. Good children get sweets and dried fruit. Bad children get coal (carbone), which is actually black sugar candy. The tradition says the Befana was invited by the Three Wise Men to visit the baby Jesus, but she was too busy cleaning her house. She has been searching for Jesus ever since, leaving gifts for every child she visits, just in case.
You spot the solenodon and the Hispaniolan hutia as distinctive small mammals endemic to this Caribbean island. You see that Dominican households most commonly keep dogs, cats, and fighting roosters. ACADA celebrates the world's pets, and helps assure better care.
