 Italy's National Day, the "Festa della Repubblica" ("Republic Day") is celebrated on 2 June each year, and commemorates the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946.The Saint Lucy's Day, which take place on 13 December, is very popular among children in some Italian regions, where she plays a role similar to Santa Claus.In addition, the Epiphany in Italy is associated with the folkloristic figure of the Befana, a broomstick-riding old woman who, in the night between 5 and 6 January, bringing good children gifts and sweets, and bad ones charcoal or bags of ashes.