In Italy, the Epiphany, sometimes known as Little Christmas, is a celebration for children. On the eve of the Epiphany, La Befana walks around offering gifts to good children and lumps of coal to naughty children. This tradition dates back hundreds of years when Pope Clement VI declared 3 January to be the day to give gifts to children. The pope called this event "La Befana" which means "the witch" in Italian because poor families used to believe that a witch would come on New Year's Eve to take them away to hell if they didn't give her something to eat and drink. Today, most Italians celebrate the Epiphany on January 6th, but some people still celebrate it on January 5th. The traditional gift for children is either candy or nuts. The word "candy" comes from the Arabic kanadu, which in turn comes from the Persian kand, which means "sweetness". Thus, candy is sweetness on earth that has been refined out of all measure! Epiphany is also the name given to the biblical story that tells how Jesus' presence was revealed to the world in the form of a star. Therefore, it makes sense that on this day you would find stars made into gifts for children.