La Befana vien di notte
Con le scarpe tutte rotte
Col vestito alla romana
Viva, Viva La Befana!
The English translation is:
La Befana comes by night
With her shoes old and broken
She comes dressed in the Roman way
Long life to the Befana!
La Befana is a character in Italian folklore.
Her name derives from the festival of Epiphany, and she visits all the children of Italy on the eve of 6 January to fill their socks with candy if they are good or a lump of coal if they are bad. Being a good housekeeper, many say she will sweep the floor before she leaves. The child’s family typically leaves a small glass of wine and a plate with a few morsels of food, often regional or local, for Befana.
She is usually portrayed as an old lady riding a broomstick through the air wearing a black shawl and is covered in soot because she enters the children’s houses through the chimney. She is often smiling and carries a bag or hamper filled with candy, gifts, or both.
Hi I am Conor,
I’ve read your story and it seems nice. We believe in a man called Santa. He does the same thing as La Befana but he’s not old. Santa comes on the 25th of December in the middle of the night. I’ve never got coal before and I hope I never do. Did you ever get coal? Nollaig Shona Duit or in English Merry Christmas.
Good Idea fot the Befana… Greetings!!!
NotitiAE for Befana at this link:
http://notitiae.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/la-befana/