The Ride of the Witch in the Italian Language

 

L’Epifania 

Epiphany 

Long after many Americans have taken down their Christmas trees and packed away the decorations, Italians continue to celebrate. The final feast is L’Epifania, on January 6, which commemorates the arrival of i re magi, the three kings who followed the bright Christmas star (stella cometa) to bring gifts for Baby Jesus (bambino Gesù). 

Italian children traditionally received their presents on Epiphany rather than Christmas. However, as Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) has become more popular in Italy, youngsters often get gifts on both holidays — if they’ve been good. 

The job of delivering nice gifts to good children and cenere e carbone (ashes and coal) to naughty ones belonged to La Befana, a good-hearted but very ugly witch. Her name comes from befania, a corruption of the Greek word epifania, which means apparition or manifestation. Outside its Epiphany context, befana refers to an ugly woman.

According to one legend, the Magi stopped by Befana’s house and invited her to accompany them on their trip to Bethlehem. She refused because she had too much housework. Regretting her decision, Befana gathered presents in a bag, hopped on her broomstick, and took to the skies. Unable to pick up the Magi’s trail, she stopped at every house along the way to leave gifts for the children, just in case the Christ Child was there.   

Different towns and regions of Italy traditionally celebrated L’Epifania in various ways. Some had a living crèche, with the village’s newest baby in the role of Jesus. In others three children dressed as the Magi with a golden star atop a pole sang pasquelle (little songs) about the three kings as they paraded through the streets. 

In Friuli in northern Italy, families gathered around a big Christmas log that had been burning for twelve days in a special raised hearth called a fogolar. Others lit giant bon fires in their fields. The Friulians believed these Epiphany fires—called pan e vin (bread and wine) in some places and vecja (old one in dialect) in others--lit the way for the three Magi en route to Bethlehem. 

Throughout Italy January 6 marks the end of the long holiday season. “L’Epifania,” an old saying goes, “tutte le feste si porta via.” (Epiphany carries away all the holidays.) However,  another festival—the pre-Lenten Carnevale—isn’t far away. As a dialect proverb says, “Dopo le sante feste de Natal, le santissime de carnaval!”  (After the holy feasts of Christma, the most holy ones of carnival!) 

Words and Expressions 

Italian children memorize verses about La Befana and recite them for their families. The best known are:

 La Befana vien di notte 

con le scarpe tutte rotte 

con le toppe alla sottana: 

Viva, viva la Befana! 

La Befana comes in the night 

With shoes completely broken 

With her skirt all in tatters 

Hurray, Hurray, La Befana! 

Another version:

Viene, viene la Befana

Vien dai monti a notte fonda

neve e gelo la circondan. 

neve e gelo e tramontana!

Viene, viene la Befana


Here comes, here comes the Befana

She comes from the mountains in the deep of the night

Snow and frost (ice) surrounds her

Snow and frost and the West wind

Click here to see more images of Italy’s beloved Epiphany witch:

Comments

[TonyM]

So happy to read all this... my Italian teacher asked me to research Befana, and I started here. The video is delightful, too, thank you.

[dianne]

I understand that Italian women often send notes or jokes to each other at this time. Auguri Befana a voi!

[Valerie]

Kids still go wild for La Befana! I have a friend in Rome who gets very indignant about recent renditions that make her a witch. She keeps saying, "she is not a strega, she is a casalinga! She should have a kerchief on her head, not a pointy hat!" Either way, it's another holiday in the lineup, and another reason to gather and eat!

[Mirella]

Thank you so much for your honorable mention of my article. I'm thrilled. In the tradition of the Befana, my tree is still up. My family always waited for January 6th before taking it down, so I've kept up the tradition.

Once, when I was a little girl, I remember my father hanging his pants on the back of the kitchen door. In the morning, La Befana had arrived and had stuffed his pants with toys, candies, and fruit. I was thrilled. My father was from Rovigo, so this is how he celebrated the Epiphany as a child. Wonderful memories

Buona Festa