Befana is the traditional Italian Christmas celebration which takes place on the 6th January, the feast of the Epiphany. Tradition says that at night on the 5th January, an old woman or witch, Befana, comes into your house and fills children's stockings with either sweets and gifts for the good or coal (carbone)for the bad. If she sees you while she is visiting she will hit you with her broomstick (manico di scopa)which she also uses as a form of transport. For anglo-saxons, the effect is like a weird mix of Christmas and Hallowe'en as the shops are full of witches on broomsticks. In fact, it is believed that the festival is older than either of those and dates back to pre-christian Roman times. Later, the festival was christianised and Befana becomes part of the story of the Epiphany as an old woman who showed hospitality to the three Kings or Magi on their way to find the baby Jesus.
I can happily confirm that I woke up this morning to find a mixture of sweets (Kinder assortment ... yum) and coal in my stocking. The coal was lovely ... mint flavoured ;)
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