Submitted by Allison Ruffner on the 2017 winter session program in Florence, Italy sponsored by the Department of Art…
Christmas needs a wine drinking witch. Growing up Catholic and Italian, my family celebrated this old Italian folklore, but while in Italy for the first time I was surprised at how widespread and what a national icon La Befana really is.
Enter La Befana, the Italian Christmas Witch. Her story is an image coming from immemorial layers of culture and symbols, but roughly goes this way: According to Southern Italian folklore, La Befana is an old woman who was approached by the magi (Three Wise Men/Three Kings) on their way to visit Baby Jesus. They apparently asked her for directions to where the Son of God was, because they had seen the star in the sky, but she did not know. They stayed at her house for a night, as she was considered the best housekeeper in the village, with the most pleasant home. The next day they invited her to join them to find the Baby Jesus, but she declined because she was busy with her housework. Later, La Befana had a change of heart, and tried to search out for the magi and Jesus, but could not find him. So now La Befana flies her broom around on the night before the Feast of Epiphany, which commemorates the Magi’s meeting with baby Jesus. She leaves candies and small toys in good children’s shoes or stockings, and coal in bad ones’. I was told by families I met here that they often leave her a glass of wine and a plate of sausage and broccoli, because that’s what she would like.
The apartment I am staying at is right in the heart of Florence, Italy. In the few days we were walking around, I kept seeing La Befana everywhere—in markets, as souvenirs, on locals T-Shirts, as paintings and drawings, etc. In Florence on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6th) everything shut down—no one went to work, no stores were open, nothing. It was a huge day in town because it marked the last official day of the holiday season. There was a massive parade (picture below) that set off from the Piazza Pitti, crossed the Ponte Vecchio, and ended at the famous Duomo where the nativity scene was set up. The procession is a group of locals who re-enact the journey to Bethlehem as the Wise Men, along with marching bands, flag throwers, maidens, horses, jokers, children, etc. There were hundreds of people participating in the parade and it went on for hours!
So how does La Befana fit into all of this? The parade is a tradition that goes back as far as the 1400’s! The Medici family use to take part as actors in the procession. Watching all of the streets and work shut down for everyone to take part in a parade really shows how people want to feel connected to a culture and connected to their roots. The idea of eating sausage and drinking wine while celebrating a woman who flies around on a broom looking for Jesus, admits one of the most historically and religiously rich places in the world seems to be the perfect encapsulation of the local Italians. So much different then in America, while I was at the parade your could really see how everyone had slowed down, taken off work, and let the world breathe for a moment while some celebrated the Epiphany, and others, just the joy of the holidays.