An Italian Christmas Tradition

In America, we have the tradition of Santa Claus, that kind man with a white beard and a red suit, who is always smiling. Usually, we know that he leaves children gifts under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.

The tradition in Italy is that gifts for the children are brought by the Befana, during the night of January 5^th to the 6^th, the day of Epiphany.

Since she is a housewife, it is said that she sweeps the floor with a broom before she leaves. The family of the children leave a small glass of wine with a little plate of local or regional food.

Usually, the Befana is characterized as an old woman, flying across the sky on a broom. But, unlike witches, she usually smiles and carries a large sack filled with candy, coal or toys.

The name Befana comes from the word Epiphany. Tradition says that when the three Wise Men were looking for the Baby Jesus, they knocked on the Befana's door, asking for information about the birth of the Infant. She invited the three Kings to spend the night and when they were leaving to find the Infant, they asked the Befana if she wanted to go with them. She refused because she had to clean the house. Later, she changed her mind, but it was too late. Tradition says that she, flying on a broom, is looking for the Infant Jesus in each house where there are children.

According to tradition, the Befana leaves all the good children some candy and toys and the bad children get a piece of coal. Italian children expected to find a lump of coal in their stockings, because they knew that they had been bad at least once during the year.