It’s not every day that you find yourself locked down in the midst of a global pandemic with a one-toothed puppet of Italy’s legendary La Befana, but through a mix of serendipitous circumstances, that some might call fate, I spent the pandemic living out an urban version of ancient Italian legend.

For those who may not know, in Italian folklore, the 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 Santa Claus or the Three Magi Kings.