"La Befana" – The lovely witch brings candies to the kids
"La Befana", the lovely witch, got her name most likely from Epiphany, the celebration of the Three Kings' Day, a Christian feast day. According to an old tale the legend of Befana began thousands of years ago, when the Three Kings, Kaspar, Melchior and Balthasar, were on their way to the new-born Jesus Christ to bring their gifts, gold, incense and myrrh, to the child. A bright star showed them the way. In every village they passed, there were people who joined the Three Kings in their journey. Along the way, they arrived at the house of an old woman who wasn't going to accompany them. She claimed to be too busy with housework but promised to follow later when her work would be done. The next day the old woman regretted her mistake and ran after the Three Kings, with the broom and gifts in her hands. But she found no trace of the men or the star. As much as she searched, she didn't find the new-born Jesus. And having missed her opportunity to give her gifts with the Three Kings, the old women, now a witch, visits in the night between January 5th and 6th every house looking for kids to give presents to. "La Befana" fills prepared socks and boots of children who have been good all year long with candies, while she leaves "coal", black sugar rocks, for the kids who haven't been so good. And since the witch used to be a good housekeeper she sometimes even sweeps the floor of the house she visits.
"The Befana", as the Italians call their traditional event, is celebrated throughout Italy. "La Befana" is an Italian icon today and very much loved not only by the kids. Even poems and songs are dedicated to the lovely witch, many different versions exist in all of Italy:
"La Befana vien di notte,
con le scarpe tutte rotte,
col vesito alla romana,
viva, viva La Befana"
"The Befana comes by night,
with her shoes all tattered and torn,
she comes dressed in the Roman way,
long live the Befana"