Out beyond ideas of right-doing & wrongdoing, there is a table—named after Italy’s legendary gift giver. I’ll meet you there.

-Dina-

Greetings! I’m Dina — and welcome to La Befana’s Table—a substack, podcast, and gathering space dedicated to the ancient art of sacred hospitality.

What to Expect Around Here

• Curious conversations with dear friends, artists, healers, wise elders, community weavers, and everyday people who are utilizing their gifts to make the world a more beautiful place

• Occasional personal reflections plus updates on the latest happenings at La Befana’s Table including gatherings both online & IRL

La Befana’s Table as a Third Place

 More than a podcast, La Befana’s Table is a gathering space for those seeking refuge from the absurdity of modern times. It is a place for the weary yet hopeful, who in spite of it all, still believe in a future where everyone belongs. 

Join Our Circle of Gift Givers

🌟Do you have gifts you long to share? Are you seeking companionship for the journey and want to have some laughs along the way? Then consider joining our circle of gift givers.

🎁 Gift Givers | $5 month or $55/year

• Monthly Connection Hour at the virtual table

• Private chat to share daily gifts of gratitude, reflection, and spiritual/creative companionship

• Discounts on gatherings both online & IRL, workshops, and retreats

• Access to archive & paywalled posts/podcast episodes

🧹 Befana Squad — Founding Members | $180/year

For those who feel called to help sustain the work of La Befana’s Table

In addition to everything Gift Givers receive, Founding Members of our Befana Squad are welcomed with a box of Italian cookies from Dilena’s Dolcini, — cause at La Befana’s Table we believe that life is sweeter together.

Our Story

After a long and winding journey of searching for a place where I felt like I belonged, a magical guide appeared in the most unexpected form—a puppet of Italy’s legendary La Befana.

Though I had never puppeteered before, a chance encounter at a friend’s Fourth of July party—with a woman who mentioned she had a puppet of Italy’s legendary La Befana tucked away on a shelf—catapulted me upon a three-year long journey of bringing this folkloric figure to life in the streets of New York.

At the height of the global pandemic, La Befana teamed up with City Relief, handing out cookies to those in need and providing much needed moments of comic relief.

Like any good guide, La Befana led me from loneliness and isolation into meaningful connections with my neighbors, creating a bridge not only between self and other, but also between an ancient legend from my ancestral cultural heritage and the one unfolding before my eyes.

Through the encounters I had with La Befana on the streets, I discovered a sense deep belonging, rooted in the realization that I was but a small part of a Living Legend.

Today, I carry the lessons learned from this transformative chapter of my life journey into my work as the Creator & Host of La Befana’s Table.

Ode to La Befana

Written by Raylene Abbott, Friend of La Befana’s Table

She flies on her broomstick, amongst the stars. She brings many gifts, she travels so far. Her wisdom is natural; she sees through the heart, she finds every child and nourishes their inner spark. For the spark of God is in everyone and everything we see, and it is from an innocent heart that we will fulfill all our needs.