Befana

Italy's traditional celebration includes the tale of a witch known as La Befana who arrives on her broomstick during the night of January 5 and fills thestockings with toys and sweets for the good children and lumps of coal for the bad ones.

According to the legend, the night before the Wise Men arrived at themanger they stopped at the shack of an old woman to ask directions. They invited her to come along but she replied that she was too busy. Then a shepherd asked herto join him but again she refused. Later that night, she saw a great light in the sky and decided to join the Wise Men and the shepherd bearing gifts that hadbelonged to her child who had died. She got lost and never found the manger.

Now La Befana flies around on her broomstick each year on the 11th night,bringing gifts to children in hopes that she might find the Baby Jesus. Children hang their stockings on the evening of January 5 awaiting the visit of La Befana.See My Befana for La Befana song and more about the legend.

The origins of La Befana may actually go back farther, to the Roman's pagan festival ofSaturnalia, a one or two week festival starting just before the winter solstice. At the end of Saturnalia, Romans would go to the Temple of Juno on the Capitoline Hillto have their augers read by an old crone. Many pagan traditions were incorporated into Christmas celebrations when Christianity became main stream. La Befanawas a good substitute for the old woman who read the augers. The saying augur originated with this practice, too, as it was common to wish someone good augers.