La Befana Day is one of the January days on the Weird Holidays and Observances page. (January 5.) Once upon a time, I wrote a little about La Befana when I covered creepy Christmas traditions around the world, but I thought it was high time she got a post of her own.
Even though La Befana is known as the Italian Christmas Witch, she’s not really a witch. She sort of resembles some of the stereotypical images of witches, though. She’s most often depicted as an elderly woman wrapped in a shawl, a kerchief covering her head, and she’s got a broom that she flies on. She’s also often seen carrying a basket, which is filled with goodies for children. Sometimes she’s also depicted smeared with soot.
But why? Isn’t Christmas over and done with? Why would she deliver treats to kids now? And isn’t that Santa’s job?
Well, it has to do with the Epiphany, which is also sometimes called Three Kings Day.
La Befana and the Three Wise Men
As the legend goes, The Three Kings, or the Three Wise Men (also known as the Magi), stopped by the house of a witch on their way to visit baby Jesus in Bethlehem. She had seen the bright star too, but she was too preoccupied with cleaning to go. In fact, some versions of the legend say that she was busy sweeping when the Magi stopped by.
The Three Wise Men invited her to join them before they continued on their journey to deliver their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but she declined.
As news of Christ’s birth spread, she regretted not going. After that, every year on the eve of the Epiphany, she made a habit of flying from house to house, peering in on the sleeping children, and leaving gifts for them just in case one of them happened to be Jesus.
Where She Originated From
A telling of the legend of La Befana says that she’s probably modeled on the Roman goddess Sabine, but she’s undergone some transformations since then.
When La Befana Shows Up
After the eve of the La Festa della Epifania (Feast of Epiphany) on January 5, children go to sleep anticipating what they’ll find when they wake up the next morning. What will the Christmas witch have brought them?
It’s very similar to Santa. If they’ve been good, it’ll be sweets and toys. If they’ve been bad, they can expect to find coal, garlic, onions, or maybe even straw from her broom.
Speaking of her broom. It’s also said not only does she deliver sweets and toys to the children, but she sweeps before she leaves. It serves as a symbolic gesture that clears out the old to prepare for the new year.
A Christmas witch who cleans up after she visits? I don’t know about you, but I could sure benefit from a little extra help around the house like that.
Check-In
Have you ever heard of a helpful cleaning witch before?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, as well as obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of healing, to learn how she channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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