2/18/2024 0 Comments Magic sweeper broomThey asked for directions to where the Son of God was, as they had seen his star in the sky, but she did not know. Legend Ĭhristian legend had it that Befana was approached by the biblical magi, also known as the Three Wise Men (or the three kings) a few days before the birth of the Infant Jesus. She is often smiling and carries a bag or hamper filled with candy, gifts, or both. She is usually portrayed as a hag riding a broomstick through the air wearing a black shawl and is covered in soot because she enters the children's houses through the chimney. The child's family typically leaves a small glass of wine and a plate with a few morsels of food, often regional or local, for the Befana. To some the sweeping means the sweeping away of the problems of the year. Being a good housekeeper, many say she will sweep the floor before she leaves. In many poorer parts of Italy and in particular rural Sicily, a stick in a stocking was placed instead of coal. In popular folklore, the Befana visits all the children of Italy on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany to fill their socks with candy and presents if they are good, or a lump of coal or dark candy if they are bad. Ī popular belief is that her name derives from the Feast of Epiphany ( Italian: Festa dell'Epifania). In Italian folklore, the Befana ( pronounced ) is an old woman or witch who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5) in a similar way to Santa Claus or the Three Magi Kings. Figure in Italian folklore A wooden puppet depicting the Befana.
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