I read this book to my students every december when i teach christmas around the world. Legend of old befana by tomie depaola book study and. But seeing the christmas star in the sky, she was drawn to find the. One of my favorite winter traditions is the celebration of epiphany in italy 6th of january. About 30,000 to 50,000 people attend the festivities. She went crazy with grief and when she heard about the birth of jesus, she went to find him in the delusion that he was her son. Vi propongo di ascoltarla e di leggere le parole nello stesso tempo.
She leaves gifts for children who have been good during the past year and warns those who have misbehaved. While children all over the world are unwrapping presents from sant. However, this relatively modern tradition pales in comparison to the anticipation generated by the arrival of an old witch in early january. See more ideas about italian christmas, italian christmas traditions and christmas in italy. Here are some befana coloring pages courtesy of the mamma e bambini website in italy. Why do italian children hang up a stocking on the eve of the epiphany. I also love the magical quality of the christmas witch as it hearkens back to my favorite holiday, halloween.
The feast of the epiphany, an important postchristmas date on the christian calendar, is celebrated on january 6 as a national holiday in italy. Each watercolor illustration is entirely handdone, every brush stroke robust and purposeful. For next years event we aim to put all the winners of the competition on our site for the world to see. On epiphany eve, the old, tattered and sootcovered befana flies.
Every year there is a big festival held to celebrate the holiday. The italianspanish coproduction was directed by michele soavi and features a 500yearold befana who works as a schoolteacher by day. With epiphany coming up on january 6, weve already read the legend of old befana by tomie depaola several times in our home. Here we have one of many pictures that have been drawn of the befana. The legend of old befana by tomie depaola goodreads. Il testo e le immagini sono state tratte dallomonimo. And just as northern european myths attached to the story of st. Legend of old befana by tomie depaola book study and craft. One night she receives a visit from three wisemen who are following a. Il testo e le immagini sono state tratte dallomonimo spettacolo, vincitore nel 2005 del primo premio ribalte di fantasia promosso dalla rivista di. But seeing the christmas star in the sky, she was drawn to find the reason for their quest and brought her own gifts for the baby jesus. The christmas season in italy is one that begins with the novena eight days before christmas and lasts until the feast of the epiphany on january 6th. Together, text and pictures capture the essence of that strange night when three royally dressed men invite befana to join their starled search for the christ child, and she stubbornly.
It is on this day in the first week of january that children receive gifts. This book is wonderfully written and has beautiful illustrations. I love the story of the three kings, the biblical tiein to the giving of gifts in a non santaheavy way. Especially when the day is january 6, the day of the epiphany. It is celebrated on the 6 th of january, the day of the epiphany, a christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of god in his son as human in jesus christ. One of these cities, rome, is known for its piazza navona, a central site where you see many befana dolls for sale, as well as well as old ladies dressed like her wandering around the center of the city. At eataly, we are celebrating her arrival with panettone and pandoro. Befana italian edition by patrizia nencini nov 23, 2018. The mother christmas holiday in italy espresso by select. This connection has been made mention in the book vestiges of ancient manners and customs, discoverable in modern. In the regions of the marches, umbria and latium, her figure is associated with the papal states, where the epiphany held the most importance. Befana definition and meaning collins english dictionary.
Her roots, it seems, have to be sought in prechristian times, and developped well into a tradition made of folklore and religious elements. Legend of old befana and legend of the poinsettia bundle by. Ispirato alla tradizione della befana toscana e liberamente integrato con riferimenti alle diverse tradizioni regionali italiane ed europee. It was the celts, once inhabiting the northern regions of our country, who. Every year at the befana festival there is a competition for the best pictures of the befana drawn by children. At eataly, we are celebrating her arrival with panettone and pandoro, the traditional italian holiday cakes, and other sweet treats. Italian anthropologists claudia and luigi manciocco, in their book una casa senza porte a house without doors trace befanas origins back to neolithic. Farfaria is a magical world of stories for children ages 29 for ipad, iphone and android. Befana italian edition italian board book november 23, 2018 by patrizia nencini author. When the three wise men approached her and asked her if she knew where to find the holy infant, she told them she didnt but offered to shelter them for the night. The befana is celebrated throughout all of italy, and has become a national icon.
A festivity dear to children and adults, it has ancient origins and a fantastic background story. This is a delightful reading of the favorite italian christmas story about an eccentric old woman and her neverending search for the baby king. The holiday also marks the end of christmas and new years festivities in italy, after which children go back to school, adults go back to work. The italianlanguage christmas fantasy comedy film the legend of the christmas witch italian. She sends them away, preferring to be left to her cleaning, but then she sees the star in the heavens and has a change of heart. Discover new bedtime stories and build reading skills with new books added every week. When she finds a naughty child, she leaves them coal or, now, a sweet lump of black sugar that looks like coal. To this day she is still searching, and on the night before the epiphany, when she comes across good girls and boys, she leaves them treats. For next years event we aim to put all the winners. The name befana comes from the italian word for epiphany, epiphania.