The Pope gives out blessings to the huge gathered crowd of Vatican square on Christmas Day noon. Christmas celebration in Italy comes to a full circle with Epiphany, January 6, when the children receive their gifts. Italian children gets gifts from the ugly but generous witch Befana. It is believed that Befana lost the direction of the Star and could not meet Jesus when the three kings informed her about the birth of baby Jesus. And so, since then she is been flying and visits every home with the hope of meeting Jesus and gives out gifts to children. Befana enters home through chimney and fill up the stockings with toys and sweets for good children and coal for the naughty ones.
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Christmas Celebrations in Italy continues for three weeks. It begins 8 days before Christmas. Christmas celebration in Italy is popularly known as Novena. It is the time when children visit every house and recite Christmas poems and also sing Christmas carols. Christmas celebrations in Italy is highly colorful and vibrant in cities as well as in villages. Shepherds come out to entertain the villagers by playing various musical instruments and singing 
