In Italy, January 6th is called “Epifania” (same as the English “Epiphany”), but Italians commonly refer to it as “La Befana”. Why is that? Well, in Italian folklore there exists a tradition revolving around an old witch – la Befana, indeed – who on the morning of January 6th brings treats and books to the children who have behaved well during the year, while the bad ones receive only lumps of coal.
While in England they hang stockings to be filled in with toys and treats by Father Christmas on Christmas Eve, in Italy you leave stockings to be filled in with tangerines, books, candies, and the much beloved sugar charcoal that you can find in shops only during the Christmas holidays, on the night of January 5th, for the Befana to fill them.
La Befana – or the Epifania, as it’s officially called – is the last day of the Christmas holidays, and children see it as their last chance to have a blast.
The Befana is described as an ugly old woman, flying around on her broomstick. That’s the reason why in everyday language the word “befana” (plural “befane”) with a small b is used to refer to someone (a woman or some women) considered as ugly, and sometimes even gossipy and not that smart.
For example:
Marco s’è sposato quella befana. (Marco married that old crone.)
