IAP 400 La Befana Comes to the Italian American Podcast!

This holiday episode finds hosts John Viola, Patrick O' Boyle, Dr. Marcella Martin welcoming "La Befana" for a funny, warm conversation about the Epiphany gift-giver and Italian holiday traditions. The banter centers on coal, "naughty lists," and the idea that Befana—not Santa—was historically the one who brought gifts in many Italian homes.

Befana explains her roots in older seasonal and pagan imagery—sweeping out the old year and welcoming renewal—later blended with the Christian Epiphany story of the Magi on January 6. John and the gang touch on the liturgical calendar, modest stocking traditions of tangerines, sweets, and "sugar coal," and the Italian notion of bella figura as respect and preparedness rather than mere fashion.

The episode turns hands-on as Befana makes pasta, shares regional lore from Puglia and Sardinia, and swaps gifts with the hosts. It closes with a call for Italian Americans to keep their language and traditions alive through family rituals, children's activities, and community—using Befana as a joyful way to carry culture forward.

HOSTS:

John Viola

Patrick O'Boyle

Dr. Marcella Martin

SPECIAL GUEST:

La Befana (Viviana Altieri)

PRODUCED BY:

Nicholas Calvello-Macchia