Befana
italian folklore folk custom befana italian beˈfaːna witchlike old woman delivers gift child throughout italy epiphany eve night january similar way santa claus three magi befana widespread tradition among italian thus many name part popular national culture traditional folk culture akin figure roam sometime twelve day reward good punish bad receive offering befana mysterious contradictory figure unclear origin character enhanced fact overall neglected scholar subject much speculation one mention prechristian christian syncretism two postulated explanation origin part italy especially central region mumming take place epiphany eve doll made effigy burnt bonfire often lit brings gift good child part italy typically sweet candy toy coal cinder garlic bad child usually portrayed hag riding broomstick air wearing black shawl covered soot enters childrens house chimney often smiling carry bag hamper filled candy gift loved also feared mocked particularly child popular belief name derives feast epiphany italian festa dellepifania many people believe name befana derived italian version greek word epifania epiphaneia greek επιφάνεια appearance surface english epiphany popular theory others posit however name derivative bastrina gift associated goddess strina book domestic life palestine mary e rogers poe hitchcock author note essay fine art e l tarbuck led believe custom relic pagan worship word bastrina refers offering used made goddess strenia could hardly expect pagan embraced christianity could altogether abandon former creed custom macaulay say christianity conquered paganism paganism infected christianity rite pantheon passed worship subtlities academy creed many pagan custom adopted new church hope essay architecture say saturnalia continued carnival festival offering goddess strenia continued new year befana known several name throughout italy demonstrated alfredo cattabiani dialectal variant standard italian old woman vecchia witch strega figure old woman brings gift roman called example vecchia old woman pavia pifanie epiphany lario orientale vecia old woman stria witch mantua padua treviso verona pasquetta little easter legnago venice marantega redodesa name also found belluno alp variant redosega redosola redosa sibilia sybil pirano donnazza woman borca di cadore anguana serpent cortina dampezzo berola province treviso vecie old woman strie witch femenate marangule friuli modena barbasa piacenza mara voecia old woman bologna italian folklorist giuseppe pitrè also call carcavecchia old woman christmas latter sicilian associated mumming custom also go different name different region italy tuscany called befanata called pasquella umbria lazio marche emiliaromagna abruzzo also known pasquarella abruzzo latter name derived italian word easter pasqua borrowed straight hebrew pesach written record befana befanata date middle age origin subject speculation scholar variously proposed lie paganism christianity mix two john b smith said like high german counterpart perchta nothing personification epiphany invented medieval christian tendency personify feast fast day jacob grimm found credible two separate culture would personify feast day supernatural figure name calendar caused invention supernatural concluded far likely befana perchta prechristian origin blended christian holiday name pointed clear attempt christianize disturbing female character transforming female personification feast generally prechristian origin one proposed befana often said goddess remnant one though culture time period come less uniform culture proposed include roman celtic neolithic farmer paleolithic huntergatherers traditional italian iconography portrayed ember eye sharp feline teeth sharp cutting tongue sooty face chimney enters house also described ugly toothless old woman grimm described misshapen fairy said wear rag headscarf carry broom sack basket keep gift year night january leaf mountain cave said live fly air riding broom backwards bring toy candy good child coal cinder naughty child italy many poorer part italy particular rural sicily stick stocking placed instead coal good housekeeper many say sweep floor leaf sweeping mean sweeping away problem year child must watch visit delivers item serious danger like watched another sanitized version say befana catch someone watching receive playful thump shoulder broomstick aspect tradition may designed keep child bed rome house said among roof piazza navona grimm said terror child siporin noted contradictory character summed thus grandmotherly witchlike target endless mockery deeply beloved ridiculous dignified domestic yet wanderer weak dependent yet feared powerful old woman played young man christian legend befana approached biblical magi also known three wise men three king day birth baby jesus asked direction son god seen star sky know provided shelter night considered best housekeeper village pleasant home magi invited join journey find baby jesus declined stating busy housework later befana change heart tried search magi jesus night able find day befana still searching baby jesus leaf good child toy candy caramelle fruit bad child get coal dark candy carbone onion garlic another commonly heard christian legend befana start time birth baby jesus telling befana spent day cleaning sweeping one day magi came door search baby jesus however turned away busy cleaning feeling guilty eventually decides find jesus following bright light also known big star sky belief point way brings along bag filled baked good gift jesus broom help new mother clean unfortunately despite best effort never find according telling befana still searching century newborn messiah eve epiphany befana come every house child leaf gift although unsuccessful search still leaf gift child everywhere christ child found child folk tradition various figure related comprising family present befanotti though exact character involved vary time place always present husband male counterpart befano though place saint anthony abbot said husband song sung part mumming befanotti mention child searching food either implicitly explicitly paralleled real life befanotti one song specifies number one hundred grimm noted say herod’s daughter latera befana befano accompanied count buon’umor criertype character announces presence asks people host treat love ask number custom associated practiced evening january following day epiphany january former group men italian countryside travel house house collecting food befana exchange performing song befana la befana sometimes skit entertainment like dancing quip houses’ inhabitant men participate activity called befanotti scholar traditionally called begging custom steve siporin disagrees argues equal exchange food entertainment designed preserve dignity befanotti precisely reduced begging befanotti view exchange one song explicitly state befana doesn’t beg song often implicitly explicitly encourage people visited give generously typically something bad happen either household including people animal object house befana effectively held hostage alternatively threat taken seriously akin teasing prank part fun festivity befanata rather actual intimidation fitting atmosphere skit performed befanotti suggestive carnivalesque epiphany start carnival season sometimes song request specific food household meat especially pork egg paramount tuscany song main performance always present italian folklorists collected large number befana song country demonstrate great lyrical variety local though mention local landmark rare may version song sung specific people stingy convince generous traditionally men comprised befanotti poorest village rich men severely prohibited forming squad taking part practical function befanotti provide little food fat protein rich food winter least temporarily ward hunger death via starvation ever present italy th century area even latter half said century neither restriction sense custom poor exists nowadays however custom exist part country absent sicily past wealthy landowner directly distributed food poor way humiliating recipient thus negating need befanata similar begging exchange ritual th century pitrè noted custom carry around old witch chase doll effigy befana commonly made former black considered lucky possibly result black color ugly appearance made rag twelfth night rome doll placed window woman child epiphany tuscan village large effigy befana burnt bonfire often lit well epiphany eve family child typically leave small glass wine plate morsel food often regional local befana italian government headed time prime minister giulio andreotti canceled epiphany national public holiday along several feast schedule attempt perk country’s sagging economy recently epiphany lavishly celebrated christmas also known italian little christmas poor befana refugee pope paul vi lamented public speech seek shelter first sunday feast despite revolt people continued celebrate holiday usual even calling sick work school showing epiphany remains permanently canceled long noted resemble christmas giftbringers figure roam christmas season called italian version though different part italy giftbringers well three king particular resemblance female german figure holle perchta often noted scholar even passing befana considered italian equivalent befana perchta bring wellbeing evil befana punishes girl woman spin epiphany eve prohibited place perchta though prohibited day vary location also analog greek anatolian slavic mythology tradition pitrè thought modern italian custom carrying driving befana bear similarity ancient roman custom leading driving figure called mamurius venturius old winter man clad animal skin historian carlo ginzburg relates nicnevin old lady character represent old year passed ready burned order give place new one many european country tradition still exists burning puppet old lady beginning new year northern italy figure called giubiana mystery befana led many interpretation theory century tradition befana appears incorporate several prechristian popular element adapted christian culture related celebration new year jacob grimm simply called misshapen fairy despite drawing parallel perchta latter considered former heathen goddess james frazer simply said old hag steve siporin think missed mark noting effigy burnt marinoni remark many thing indeed dawn new year mark death john forsdyke say become representative evil influence destroyed twelfth night cattabiani report interpreted image mother nature old dying year sow seed even symbolically reappearance guise young nature alluding goddess power plant animal abundance prosperity life death italian anthropologist claudia luigi manciocco book una casa senza porte house without door trace befanas origin back neolithic belief practice team anthropologist also wrote befana figure evolved goddess associated fertility agriculture befana may connected prehistoric european bear cult practiced among huntergatherers date far back upper paleolithic theory connects tradition exchanging gift ancient roman festivity honor janus strenia italian christmas gift used called strenna celebrated beginning year roman used give present book vestige ancient manner custom discoverable modern italy sicily john j blunt say befana appears heir law certain heathen goddess called strenia presided newyears gift strenae indeed derived name present description befana—figs date honey moreover solemnity vigorously opposed early christian account noisy riotous licentious character befana celebrated throughout italy become national icon region marche umbria lazio figure associated papal state epiphany held importance urbania thought official home every year big festival held celebrate holiday people attend festivity hundred befanas present swinging main tower juggle dance greet child traditionally italian child may expect find lump coal stocking actually rock candy made black food coloring every child least occasionally bad year three place italy nowadays associated befana tradition piazza navona central rome site popular market year christmas epiphany toy coal candy candy sale feast befana rome immortalized four famous sonnet romanesco dialect th century roman poet giuseppe gioachino belli ottorino respighi feste romane english roman festival fourth movement titled la befana orchestral portrayal piazza navona festival common superstition midnight turn january befana show window piazza navona visitor often go observe town urbania province pesaro urbino marche national befana festival held year usually january house befana scheduled built post office mailbox reserved letter addressed befana mirroring happens santa claus rovaniemi fornovo di taro town province parma national meeting raduno nazionale delle befane e dei befani held january part world vibrant italian community exists tradition involving befana may observed shared celebrated wider community toronto canada example befana choir show winter solstice december sing kensington market festival light parade woman men child dressed befana costume nose sing love song serenade sun beckon return singing hag gather street give candy child cackle screech accordion music sing every key imaginable delighted parade participant join cacophony sometimes befanas dance paradegoers dust willing walk poem befana known slightly different version throughout italy one version la befana vien di notte con le scarpe tutte rotte col vestito alla romana viva viva la befana english translation befana come night shoe tattered torn come dressed roman way long live befana another version given poem giovanni pascoli viene viene la befana vien dai monti notte fonda come è stanca la circonda neve e gelo e tramontana viene viene la befana english translation come come befana come mountain deep night look tired wrapped snow frost north wind come come befana toy saved christmas animated film italianlanguage christmas fantasy comedy film legend christmas witch italian la befana vien di notte released december italianspanish coproduction directed michele soavi feature yearold befana work schoolteacher day disney christmas miniseries santa clause featured befana played laura san giacomo krampus père fouettard zwarte piet biondi angelo la befana nel soranese e nel pitiglianese roberto ferretti ed la tradizione della befana nella maremma di grosseto grosseto comune di grosseto archivio delle tradizioni popolari della maremma grossetana pp – italian cacopardo augusto pagan christmas winter feast kalasha hindu kush gingko cattabiani alfredo calendario le feste miti le leggende e riti dellanno milan italy mondadori isbn x isbn italian epiphany fable pope say catholic news service – newsfeeds retrieved forsdyke john harvester vase hagia triada journal warburg courtauld institute frank roslyn may hunting european sky bear german strawbears relative transformersdie jagd auf die europäischen himmelsbären deutsche strohbären und ihre verwandten al verwandler michael barbara rappenglück ed symbole der wandlung wandel der symbole proceedingsof gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche symbolforschungsociety scientific study symbol germany pp – grimm jacob teutonic mythology volume translated james steven stallybrass mineola dover marinoni january popular feast legend italy sewanee review muthig john italian adjust loss little christmas catholic news service – newsfeeds retrieved pitrè giuseppe cited giuseppe cocchiara bollati boringhieri ed storia del folklore europa turin italy gruppo editoriale mauri spagnol isbn italian siporin steve befana returning story tuscan festival madison united state america university wisconsin press isbn siporin steve excerpt wayland hand prize winner befana returning story tuscan festival tfh journal history folklore – smith john b august perchta bellyslitter kin view traditional threatening figure threat punishment folklore – young sheila evolution contemporary blackening folklore doix christmas abruzzo la befana abruzzo archived original retrieved february befana academic view archived wayback machine story befana letter picture child archived wayback machine