Forget Father Christmas and Santa Claus. In Rome, the Christmas witch rules.
Christmas market at Piazza Navona
A few years ago, on an impulse, I took my then 5-year-old to Rome a few days before Christmas. The main attraction at the Piazza Navona Christmas market seemed to be witches. They were everywhere, laughing wickedly, madly – while sitting on brooms or falling off their rocking chairs. Unprepared for this witch fest, my little one was a bit frightened. Whenever someone clapped their hands – and witch sellers did ceaselessly – that shrill lunatic laugh pierced the bone marrow.
The befana legend is nice, though: On their way to Bethlehem, the magi stop by her house, the cleanest in the village, and ask for shelter for the night. When leaving the next morning, they invite her to join their search for a special baby. Befana declines, she’s too busy cleaning. After they leave, she thinks for a bit – and decides to go along after all. She finishes her work and follows the men. But she’s too late. She never finds the baby.
Come 6 January, Epiphany, la befana is still flying about on her broom, searching. On that day, Italian children leave a glass of wine and some nibbles for the Christmas witch. And she, in turn, leaves a present for the children in every house she looks. After all, anyone of them might be baby Jesus.
After hearing the legend, my daughter decides she’s not scary after all. In fact, might the Christmas witch perhaps come to our house this year? Well, we don’t live in Italy, but one can always hope, I reply vaguely. With St. Nicholas’ evening in the Netherlands (5 December), Christmas Eve in Norway, Christmas Day in the UK and Epiphany in Italy, the enterprising, global child could make every day a gift day.
La Befana vien di notte
Con le scarpe tutte rotte
Col vestito alla romana
Viva, Viva La Befana!
For more on Christmas traditions around the world, visit the Blogsherpa Blog Carnival on Inside the Travel Lab.
This has to be one of my favourite years for Christmas because I am learning so much about traditions in other countries.
I know the befana legend. It’s very sweet, isn’t it? Love those bright, colorful pictures.
You know, those are some fo the hottest witches I’ve seen in a while. The wart on the nose just drives me crazy.
Interesting traditions for Christmas around the world.
Jason
This in an interesting tradition. I also like those pictures very much.
I’m half Italian and I had a children’s book about this story when I was little. This is the first time anyone has mentioned it since then, I didn’t know it was such a high profile tradition in Italy.
I loved reading this story – and am picturing a number of enterprising global children around the world thinking of the same multi-layered approach!
I just heard about this tradition for the first time the other day, but it didn’t go into as much depth as yours so I didn’t really know the story. Very cool tradition.
What a lovely story and tradition! I love Piazza Navona, but when I was there it was the art and the designer shoe vendors that caught my attention. Seems it’s fascinating any time of the year. Happy Holidays to you!
La Befana stops at our house. It’s one of my favorite traditions. I’ve been reciting that little Befana poem my whole life! 🙂
[…] in Europe Rome, Italy: Sophie presents La befana, the good witch of Epihany posted at Sophie’s World, saying, “In Italy, la befana leaves presents for children on […]
What a fun post! I had no idea that such a celebration happened in Italy and I’m glad you’ve opened not just your child’s eyes, but mine as well. I’ll have to share it with my kids. Thanks for the awesome pictures as well.
The Italians have got the holiday traditions mixed up: this is Halloween with Rumpelstiltskin and Christmas and Epiphany and who knows what else? shades of Peanuts and Charles Schulz and Linus: the great pumpkin rising out of the pumpkin patch to bring toys for good boys and girls.
[…] By now, it’s easy to see that Christmas can span a good six weeks – and I’m not the first to notice this, as this beautiful post on Sophie’s World points out. In Rome, children look out for the befana… […]