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La Befana
Beloved of all the children of Italian heritage is the crone, the wise woman, La Befana. The stories of La Befana are legendary. She makes her appearance throughout all of Italy during this holiday season. Piazza Navona in central Rome, Italy, is the site of a famous market where each year between Christmas and the Epiphany, toys, sugar charcoal, and other candies are on sale.
The legend of La Befana may have originated in Rome, then spread as a tradition to the rest of Italy. Some believe her name is derived from the word Epiphany. Still, others say La Befana she sprang from the Roman Goddess named Strina.
In tales of Befana, she visits all the children of Italy on the eve of the sixth day of January (the Epiphany) to fill their socks with candy and presents if they are good; or a lump of coal or dark candy if they are bad. She is the ancient Italian version of modern-day Santa Claus.
Because she is a good housekeeper, 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 for La 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.
Her official home is thought to be in the province of Urbania. Urbania is a commune or municipality in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region of Marche. A big festival is held between January 2 – 6, to celebrate the holiday. A "house of the Befana" is scheduled to be built at the post office with a mailbox reserved for letters addressed to the Befana, akin to what happens with Santa Claus in Rovaniemi.
In Venice, the Befana races are held, where men are dressed as the witch La Befana and race in boats on the Grand Canal.
Previous legends spoke of the Magi (the biblical three kings) paying a visit to La Befana, a few days before Christ’s birth. They asked her for directions to where the baby Jesus was, but she did not know. Befana was well known in her community for her clean accommodations and being a congenial host. She provided the Magi with the most comfortable accommodations for a night.
The next day, they invited her to join them on the journey to find the baby Jesus, but she declined, stating she was too busy with her housework. Later, La Befana had a change of heart and tried to search out the astrologers and Jesus. That night she was not able to find them, so to this day, La Befana is searching for the baby Jesus. She leaves all the good children toys and candy. While the bad children get a lunp coal or bags of ashes. Oh course all in fun and games as there are truly no bad children.
Except from the book, "Lady of the Goddess," by Glamourgan