Today is a holiday in Italy, marking the 12th day of Christmas and the day the wise men arrived to see the Christ child in Bethlehem.

In Italy, children arise this morning to find that La Befana has either left them some candies or a lump of coal. Usually, in Florence, the big parade takes place with the actors dressed in Renaissance costumes. But, with Covid ravaging the western world, there is no parade today and we are in Zona Rossa, the red zone. We can’t leave our homes without a good reason and must carry a document stating all the particulars of why we are out.

What a year. And it’s only 6 days old.