The day before young boys

Jump into chilly waters

To retrieve

A cross

Tossed

In with sanctity and hope,

The day before the Kings come

The day before La Befana flys on her besom

The day before Twelve Drummers drum,

A girl at the end of her rope prays for the return of a lost dog,

A woman in a cap tosses treats to squirrels and crows,

And a man with a dog the color of paprika

Wishes us Happy New Year.

And so it is.