The Flight of La Befana

Tonight, as she has done for the past thousand years - or perhaps two thousand if legend is to be believed, an old lady will wander through the streets, alleyways and roads of Italy looking for a special child.  Some say she is seeking the Christ Child, others that it is her own lost child she seeks and still others say it is all children because for one night a year they have been left in her care.  Her head swathed in an old scarf to protect her from the cold, dressed in a tattered house dress, wearing a pair of scuffed boots - though sometimes she wears sandals or even goes barefoot - and using a broom as support but more often as transportation she will go from house to house.

At each house where she stops she leaves small presents in the stockings that have been left out by the children of the family.  If she finds that the child has been bad there may be a lump of coal or an onion but more often she rewards children for the times they were good with sweets, oranges, toys and games.  And because she comes down the chimney and is a good housekeeper she sweeps away the soot so no trace of her entry can be found.  Then, if thoughtful children have left one behind, she may partake of a glass of local wine or even a biscotti  to warm her old bones and give her strength to continue her journey on to the next house.  It is also known that if she is spied upon she will take her broom stick to the offenders and never visit them again. 

Over the past few years I have written about the various versions of the story of La Befana and it seems each year I find another one including this rather lovely variation on her tale at My Merry Christmas.  It is a tradition I have grown to love and cherish as part of my Christmas  and once again this year she graced the tree and has been keeping an eye on things from the hutch until the 12th day of Christmastide comes to an end and things are put away until next year.

Though her tale is now steeped in Christian mythology it is likely that her origins - as with much in Christianity - are pagan.   She may be related to Strenua the Sabine goddess of strength and endurance whose feast came at the beginning of the New Year and included the exchange of gifts.  This festivity was considered riotous and licentious by early Christians but as Thomas Macaulay remarked  "Christianity conquered paganism, but paganism infected Christianity."  In some northern Italian cultures she represents the Old Year and a puppet of an old lady is burned on a larger bonfire in a public square (Fellini captured that rite in his Amacord) - a pagan tradition that can be found in many Celtic cultures.

Though she is celebrated throughout Italy - and in many Italian communities worldwide - the town of Urbania in Pesaro is closely associated with La Befana.  From January 2 until the 6th the town celebrates La Festa Nationale della Befana with food, fairs, rides, games, parades and more Befane that you can shake a broom at.

These are a few sketches of the street decorations designed by Loris Grisi for this year's festa - stockings, sacks of goodies, brooms, the only thing missing is the old lady herself.  But as this little sideshow proves there is no lack of guests-of-honour at this celebration.

Viene, viene la Befana
Vien dai monti a notte fonda
Come è stanca! la circonda
Neve e gelo e tramontana!
Viene, viene la Befana

Here comes, here comes the Befana
She comes from the mountains in the deep of the night
Look how tired she is! All wrapped up
In snow and frost and the north wind!
Here comes, here comes the Befana!

Giovanni  Pascoli

And hopefully on her journey tonight she has brought happiness and good things to all my dear friends in Italy.  Viva la Befana Viva!

05 January - 1759 - George Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis

Epiphania II

The streets were deserted this morning as I walked to work - the normal din of traffic at the main intersection of Regina Margherita and Nomentana totally stilled. The buses and trams are empty and most bars and shops are closed for the day. January 6th is a holiday in Italy - for everyone except us it would appear. Theoretically it is the Feast of the Epiphany but really is is a celebration of La Befana, a folkloric figure who's name may well be a corruption of the word Epiphania.

I wrote about her, her story and some of the traditions surrounding her last year at this time. I've since come across a slightly darker telling of her story. According to one legend she was an simple woman with a child she loved with all her heart. When the child died she became mad in her grief. When she heard of the birth of Jesus she set out to find him, in her madness believing him to be her lost child. When she found the Christ Child she presented him with simple gifts of sweets and oranges. The delighted infant smiled and gave La Befana a gift in return: for one brief night each year she would be the mother of all the children in Italy.

Though the tradition continues of La Befana bringing gifts on the eve of Epiphany, I noticed a very subtle change from last year - more of the Befani being sold at the Christmas market in Piazza Navona resembled witches. Now my friend Vin was very specific last year - La Befana is not a witch, she does not wear a pointed hat but a headscarf. Her face is not evil, only wrinkled and ugly and sooty from coming down the chimney. But even the windows (at the right) of Dagnino, the Sicilian confectionery, had Befani that resemble Halloween witches more than the old lady of Italy folklore. The only reason I can think of for the change in persona is that what's made for Halloween in North American can also be used for Befana in Italy. I hope that isn't the reason but I fear it may well be.

One friend told me he recalls that when he was a child the night before Epiphania was the most magical time of the year. And though Babo Natale may be slowly taking over I'm sure that last night it was the same for children throughout Italy. La Befana, pointed hat or not, made her rounds, visiting the children; leaving the traditional gifts of sweets, pastries and fruits for the good children and lumps of coal for the bad ones. And perhaps still looking for her lost child.

Just a side note: it is traditional here to leave out a biscuit and a glass of wine for La Befana - and quite often the tipple will be the same as the favorite libation of the master of the house. Strange how these things work.

06 gennaio - La Epiphania

An Italian Christmas Tradition - La Befana

Last evening all over Italy, while children where sleeping, an old lady on a broomstick was flying into their homes and leaving presents in their stockings. The good boys and girls where receiving candy coins and other treats; the bad got the traditional lump of coal. La Befana may sound like Santa Claus but she's been around since the 13th century and though she may look like a witch her story is a touching one.
Babo Natale (Santa Claus) is making inroads but the tradition of La Befana - a corruption of the word Epifania (Epiphany)- is still very strong in most families here. Shop windows are filled with her image and dolls and figurines of the old lady are available all over town.
Strangely for Italy, a country obsessed with food traditions, there are no particular foods associated with La Befana. That doesn't stop the pastry shops from making up cakes and goodies. Of course, there's a a gold coin (chocolate) on the cakes for good luck. At our dinner tonight each guest will get a small bag of gold-foiled covered chocolate coins for good luck.

And we did go a little over board buying Befane this year. The one at the top of the page is currently guarding the china cabinet and these two are on our Christmas tree.

La Befana vien di notte
Con le scarpe tutte rotte
Col vestito alla romana
Viva, Viva La Befana!

La Befana comes by night
With her shoes old and broken
She comes dressed in the Roman way
Long life to the Befana!

Guess we have a new tradition in our house. Buono feste a tutti!

Update: Our friend Vincenzo tells me that last picture is actually a witch - La Befana would never wear a pointed cap. She always wears a headscarf. I still like her anyway.

06 gennaio - Epifania de Nostre Signore