868: Italy is prepared to miss Christmas. Lorenzo Fiori
Image: Peasants welcoming the Befana, detail of an engraving, 1830. In Italian folklore, Befana is an old woman who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5) in a similar way to St. Nicholas or Santa Claus. Epifania is a Latin word with Greek origins meaning "manifestation (of the divinity)." Lorenzo Fiori: Direttore Generale Ansaldo Fondazione ; in re: The virus: Italy has the most coronavirus deaths in Europe. Italy was the first Western country to be slammed, then brought infections under control in the spring. Christmas? Italians today are disoriented by regions and criticality. Intensive therapy. . . . Celebrating Christmas is the high point of the year in Italy, with many generations of family gathering together. For every one teenager, we have two people over 60. https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-europe-italy-coronavirus-pandemic-france-7594be9ff72658f7c49d9312609e8c34