La Befana ... Italy's Christmas Witch

January 04, 2021

Happy New Year ...

According to tradition Christmas trees and decorations should be taken down on either the twelfth night or what is known as Epiphany to avoid bad luck after the season of goodwill and merriment.

In Italian folklore, La Befana is an old woman who delivers gifts to Italian children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve, the night of January 5th, in a similar way as Father Christmas. Italian children get gifts from both Father Christmas and La Befana.

A popular belief is that her name derives from the Feast of Epiphany or in Italian, "La Festa dell' Epifania".

Epifania (Epiphany in English) is a Latin word with Greek origins.

The Feast of the Epiphany is on January 6th.

Some say that Befana is descended from the Roman goddess named 'Strina'.

Legend says that La Befana was approached by the Three Wise Men a few days before Jesus's birth. They asked her for directions to find the manger where he was located as they had seen his star in the sky, but La Befana did not know the location.

She provided them shelter for the night and so the Three Wise Men invited her to join them on their journey to find the baby Jesus. She declined because she was too busy sweeping her floors (maybe she was Sicilian?) but La Befana changed her mind after her housework was complete.

Angels gave her a wings and so off she flew on her broom up into the night sky. Sadly she was unable to find the Three Wise Men and so to this day La Befana is said to still be searching in the sky on the night of 5th January for the little baby Jesus.

In popular folklore La Befana visits all the children of Italy, as she is not sure which one could be baby Jesus, on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany to fill their stockings that have been left out that night with candy and presents if they have been good or a lump of coal if they have been bad.

In southern Italy and in particular rural Sicily a stick was left in the stocking instead of coal.

Being a good housekeeper many say that she will sweep the floor before she leaves. To some the sweeping meant the sweeping away of the problems of the year.

The children's family typically leave a small glass of wine and a plate with morsels of food, often regional or local, for La Befana.

She is usually portrayed as an old lady with grey hair riding a broomstick through the air wearing a black shawl and is always covered in soot because she enters the houses through the chimney.

She is often smiling and carries a bag filled with candy and gifts or both.

Popular tradition tells that if you see La Befana you will receive a thump from her broomstick as she does not want to be seen. This aspect of the tradition may have been created to keep children in their beds.

So on the evening of the 5th January look up in the sky for La Befana.

Just don't let her see you !!!!!!!