2230 The Witch..

Hi ya
Hope this helps
[url]http://www.italiansrus.com/articles/befana.htm[/url]

Oh you beat me to it.

Befana [URL="http://italymag.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1933&page=5&highlight=christmas+presents"]http://italymag.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1933&page=5&highlight=christmas+presents[/URL]

It's amazing what you find on the forum

I also noticed this that made me giggle......... [url]http://www.italymag.co.uk/2006/news-from-italy/current-affairs/harry-potter-to-challenge-la-befana/[/url]

[QUOTE=fudgieoto]Hi

I know this will show my greeness to the ways of the Italians, but could someone please shed some light on the witch that seems to appear on stockings, in bags with sweets etc.

Is this something to do with new year, or christmas

It has puzzled us for the past few weeks

cheers Gill and Graham[/QUOTE]

Sweets.... are ONLY for the children who have been good ...the naughty ones tradionally receive lumps of coal which in modern times is translated into fake coal made out of some sugary stuff...
Nah, nothing to do with Christmas and that fat ,old, drunk, lap dressed in red this is a completely different story...

What if you could choose? Who would get your sweets and who would get the coal? And why?

[QUOTE=Francesco]What if you could choose? Who would get your sweets and who would get the coal? And why?[/QUOTE]

Easy!! Our cricket team would get the sweets, Pakistan notwithstanding, and our government would get the coal - and it would be the real stuff!!

Oh, yes,and my wife would also get some seets, because she has to put up with me!!

[quote=Peter Head]Easy!! Our cricket team would get the sweets, Pakistan notwithstanding, and our government would get the coal - and it would be the real stuff!!

Oh, yes,and my wife would also get some seets, because she has to put up with me!![/quote]

I am so glad you are still part of the forum. It appears you may have been on the sidelines for a while. Am I right?

Has anyone spotted that warty toothless old hag flying from house to house on her broomstick?Tonight in Italy, the Befana will be busy filling those socks - will it be sweets or a piece of black coal? She may even be picked up on the Carovigno webcam!!

Children and adults will be trying to imitate her and walking the streets, knocking on doors and chanting eg:

'La Befana vien di notte,
con le scarpe tutte rotte,
col cappello alla romana,
Viva, viva la Befana!'

Tomorrow 'Epiphany' sees the end of the Christmas festivities:

"L'Epifania, tutte le feste porta via"

Happy New Year!

La Befana vien di notte
con le scarpe tutte rotte
con le toppe alla sottana:
Viva, viva la Befana!

P

Try [url]http://www.barganews.com/daily/2006/01/05/la-befana-arrives-in-barga/[/url]

La Befana was an old lady who met the Three Kings when they were looking for the baby Jesus. They asked her to go with them but she refused.
After some thought on the matter she decided that she should have gone with them and so decided to find Jesus.
Unfortunately she couldn't and so gave a gift to every child just in case it was Jesus.
The tradition continues and is very strong in this area (Garfagnana, Barga). In fact La Befana used to be celebrated much more strongly then Babbo Natale here. Befana is poor and so only gives small gifts. Naughty children get lumps of coal which are now made out of sugar.
Her house is at Pegnana near Barga and every year children write letters to her which can be posted in a special post box in Barga, or visit her tiny little house. If the above link showing her arriving in Barga this year doesn't work, try [url]http://www.barganews.com[/url]