La Befana, was
a senior citizen who was never without her broom. At first, she was thought to be an evil witch,
but no one actually knew why. It was no
secret that Befana spent much of her
time cooking and cleaning in her little house.
And as she worked she sang, but when she sang her vocal cords released
the most hideous screech ever heard by the human ear. So terrible was the sound of her voice that
the townspeople shuttered their doors and windows at the mere hint of being
entertained by Befana. However, no one could remember Befana doing anything wrong, except
singing, so it seemed unfair to say that she was evil just because she sang. Besides, she was Italian, and that’s what
Italians do. Eventually, society had
undergone a change of attitude and rethought the concept of Befana from one of evil to one of good. While this was happening, the story of Befana also acquired different versions. Her story had changed over the years, having
been told and retold by so many different story tellers. Each
story teller had his or her own personal way of telling it. And so, the legend grew with diverse
regional word-of-mouth interpretations from one generation to another resulting
in variations on a theme.
All
versions, however, seemed to narrate a basic account of a simple woman who, on
a clear evening, observed an unusually brilliant star in the heavens. So bright, in fact, was the star, that Befana felt almost troubled by the sight
of it and a bit concerned about its possible meaning. She,
of course, went back to her housework and tried not to think about the star,
unaware that momentarily, she would encounter three wise men. Suddenly, there came a knock. Upon answering the
door, there on her door step stood an imposing trio complete with a procession
of camels loaded down with gifts.
The
wise men, quite radiant in appearance but humble in manner, asked for food and
lodging for the night and told how the great star was guiding them in their
journey toward the town of Bethlehem where it was foretold that they would find
the Christ Child. Befana obliged the
travelers by sharing her food and humble home with them, but admitted that she had
never heard of a place called Bethlehem.
The
next day, as the wise men prepared to depart they spoke again of their quest to
pay homage to the Christ Child and invited Befana
to accompany them. Befana, somewhat
embarrassed, declined the invitation, saying that she had no gift to offer the
child, but her regal guests assured her that no gift was necessary and told her
that the newly born king simply came into the world to make it a better place. Befana
was undecided and for the longest time, could not make up her mind. Alas, the wise men could wait no longer. They
finally took their leave and resumed their journey.
Before
too long, Befana had misgivings about
declining the invitation. She decided to make a doll and bake some biscotti to take as gifts. Then she followed the path taken by the wise
men in hopes of catching up with them. She ran and ran but could not find the
way. She ran so fast that she took
flight on her broom. She flew all night but could find neither the journeymen
nor the Christ Child. When she returned to her little house, she vowed never to
give up trying to find the Christ Child and every year she flies around looking
for the spirit of Christ in every child and leaves something for the children
of Italy on the twelfth day of Christmas.
It is said that Befana forgets
no one for she brings toys and treats for good little boys and girls and a shiny
lump of coal for the questionable ones.
Merry
Belated Christmas! Buon Natale in Ritardo!
[image from Wikipedia at this link]
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