10. Italy – Festa della Befana
A much more frightening visitor than Santa Claus visits Italian children on the night before the Christian holiday of the Epiphany. Epiphany Eve, which is the night of January 5th, is marked by the delivery of gifts by Befana, a witch-like old woman. If children are good, Befana fills their hung stocking with candy and presents. If they are bad, she leaves a lump of coal. She also will sweep the home of good families, which symbolically represents the cleaning away of the last year’s troubles.
While this may seem like a mere Christmas tradition, Befana is depicted as riding a broom and has a stereotypically hag-like appearance with a black shawl, scary face and is often covered in soot from traveling down chimneys. She is referred to, in English, as the Christmas witch. The traditional flight of Befana was historically only celebrated in Rome, with the widespread practice in Italy only occurring in the 20th century.
In the legend, Befana was approached by the biblical Magi, known as the Three Wise Men, shortly before the birth of Jesus. She offered them room in her extremely well-kept home, but could not provide them with directions to the inn where Jesus would be born, as she did not know. Due to her hospitality and well-cared-for home, the magi offered to take her with to see Jesus. She initially declined but had a change of heart after they left. She was not able to find them and is believed to be ever searching for the baby Jesus.
